Diplomatic tension between Madrid and London over Gibraltar. The two countries have confirmed their differences on the legal framework that should govern the British colony’s relations with the European Union after Brexit and have given up on reaching an agreement this year. Despite the good words and wishes for understanding, both Gibraltar and the British embassy in Madrid and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have issued three different statements at different times. It is the best proof of how far the positions are.
The Ministry of José Manuel Albares said this Thursday that the negotiation process on Gibraltar has progressed “more slowly due to the complexity of the issues discussed and the situation of the pandemic.” “According to the European Commission, Negotiations could move to a final phase very soon, so that the agreement is reached in the first quarter of 2022“Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The position of the Spanish Government has become known after the meeting between Albares and his British counterpart, Liz Truss, held on Wednesday evening in Madrid. And hours after the Gibraltar authorities announced on their own that there would be no white smoke this year. The British embassy in Spain, in its statement on the Albares-Truss meeting, has said that the ministers “welcomed the constructive nature of the negotiations between the EU and the UK regarding Gibraltar. “And he adds that the United Kingdom agrees in the interest of all parties to” conclude these talks at the first quarter of 2022“.” The United Kingdom maintained its position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar, “concludes the official British statement. An allusion, that of sovereignty, that Spain has preferred to ignore.
The times of Spain and Gibraltar
The Government of the British colony issued its own statement late on Wednesday in which it stated that Negotiations on its future relationship with the European Union after Brexit will not conclude this year. And that the deadline to reach an agreement has been extended until Easter (April 2022). The statement was made public late on Wednesday, while Albares and Truss were meeting in Madrid. Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to confirm this calendar at first, as reported Vozpópuli.
“There has been progress … and it is clear that all parties are determined to move forward positively and constructively to find solutions to the complex political and technical issues that are being addressed, “said the Gibraltar authorities.” The negotiations are focused on ensuring the smooth movement of people and goods between Gibraltar and the EU. “
The Gibraltar statement explains that “the objective at this moment is to conclude an agreement before Easter“According to the Gibraltar version, the decision to proceed next year has been taken in the framework of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
“Slow” negotiation
Albares is not satisfied with the state of the negotiations, which is led by the European Commission because it is a dispute in the context of Brexit but of which Spain is permanently informed because it is the main affected in the EU. The fourth round of dialogue between Brussels and London opened this week has found insurmountable differences.
Spain’s position is that the advances, which exist, are insufficient for the moment. Albares does not want an eternal negotiation. The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs has met this week with Sefcovic and Truss to transfer the impressions of the Government.
The main stumbling block is still on the border and what is considered and what is not considered territory under British sovereignty. Spain does not recognize the isthmus that joins the colony with the Peninsula as British territory As it is not included in the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), but the airport, its facilities and the runway, which perpendicularly crosses the only road between the Rock and La Línea de la Concepción, are de facto under the control of Gibraltar.
However, the negotiation between the EU and the UK is not about the sovereignty of the colony. Madrid and London closed on December 31 the call ‘New Years Eve Agreement’ which prevented a hard Brexit in the British colony. The development of this pact is what is being negotiated now. The intention is for the EU and UK to conclude an international agreement on the inclusion of Gibraltar within the European area of Schengen.
The Gibraltar Gate
When that happens, the fence will be demolished, the physical border located on the isthmus that separates the Rock from the Spanish region of Gibraltar Field. The development of this pact is what is being negotiated now. The document foresees demolish any “physical barrier” between the British colony and Spain, which involves destroying the Gate.
Both former minister Arancha González Laya, responsible for the New Year’s Eve agreement, and her successor Albares have prioritized what the Government calls the creation of an “economic prosperity zone” in Gibraltar. Much of the GDP of the Campo de Gibraltar region, in Andalusia, depends on the Rock. Gibraltar, for its part, is dependent on the European market, which it cannot afford to lose. 96% of its 30,000 inhabitants voted against Brexit in the 2016 referendum.
Albares recently said that Spain does not renounce sovereignty over Gibraltar, but consider that the priority now is twork on the prosperity of the area. All the governments of democracy have tried unsuccessfully to resolve this territorial conflict that dates back to the 18th century.
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