Spanish Foreign Minister reaffirms commitment to Tripartite Forum

LONDON/MADRID/GIBRALTAR (Agencies) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trinidad Jiménez, reaffirmed her government´s commitment to the Tripartite Forum on Gibraltar and expressed her hopes that the "existing obstacles can be overcome so that the talks can proceed with normality into the future." At a press conference with her British counterpart, William Hague, Jiménez added that "the Government of Spain has not changed its position regarding the Forum." It is well to remember that> the talks have been in a hiatus and that a ministerial meeting between Spain, Britain and Gibraltar did not take place last month as planned. Both Hague and Jiménez had also decided to give themselves time to become updated about the process, both ministers being new to their jobs. However, it can be assumed that the main reason for the talks' suspension was because of all parties being unable to come to an agreement on policing the waters around the Rock, the jurisdiction of which remain under dispute. For his part, William Hague said that there is no change in the British position, which is well known. "We reaffirm our position on the trilateral process. The Forum continues to function officially and we hope that there will be a ministerial meeting in the near future," he said.