UK ambassador to Spain plans series of meetings with Campo de Gibraltar politicians | Gift

The ambassador of the United Kingdom to Spain, Hugh Elliott, has planned a large working day this Thursday in the Campo de Gibraltar, where he will hold several meetings with political leaders of this area.

Elliott will visit La Línea City Hall to meet with Juan Franco, the city’s mayor. Subsequently, the ambassador will travel to Algeciras to meet Juan Lozano, president of the Community of Municipalities, at the headquarters of said institution. And the day will end with a lunch with the mayor of Algeciras and also national senator of the PP, José Ignacio Landaluce.

This round of contacts between Elliott and important politicians in Campo de Gibraltar takes place at the request of the ambassador’s cabinet. All this at a key moment in the context of those conversations that London and Brussels are having on the future of Gibraltar in the European Union after Brexit.

Franco considers the meeting he will have with Elliot as “positive” because it will allow him to “verify” the approach that the United Kingdom has “in the current context”.

“It is interesting to be able to speak with the British ambassador. He is a first-level authority and could also allow us to know some details about the conversations that we are not aware of so far”, he underlined.

“My position will be to maintain total loyalty to the Spanish position that this context requires”, said Franco, who assured that he will also inform the ambassador of the “impact” of the Rocca “on the economy and on employment” which will be generated in La Línea, in order to convey “the importance” that an agreement “that would upset the current situation as little as possible” would mean for the whole area in general.

It should be remembered that this round of contacts between Hugh Elliott and political leaders in Campo de Gibraltar just a week after learning that the United Kingdom already has a proposal made by the European Commission, on the details that would regulate this possible agreement. Thus the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, conveyed it to the mayors and other political representatives of this region.