GIBRALTAR (Agencies/Photo: EuropaSur) The President of the Mancomunidad de Municipios, Isabel Beneroso, and Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, made a joint statement yesterday announcing the reactivation of the Comisión Mixta de Colaboración, a process that was born at the same time as the Tripartite Forum, but on a more local level. However, the Comisiónhas not met since 2007. Known also as the Los Barrios Commission because it was constituted there, and in which the Junta de Andalucía also takes part, will debate matters such as the environment, education, culture as it impacts either side.>
The Chief Minister pointed out that although the commission has been inoperative for a number of years, there has been contact between the parties as Mancomunidad takes part in some of the technical aspects taken up by the Tripartite Forum.
"We want to recover the agenda, establish a schedule, take up the meetings again and work together on things of common interest," said Caruana. "In any case, both Mancomunidad and Government will play an important part, at local level, in the application of future agreements of the Tripartite Forum. Even if agreements do not happen, we could still work on things that may have less reach but are nevertheless important." Matters that were once discussed in the Commission were later passed to the Forum, which brought about a reduction in contacts among politicians and institutions, which will now intensify with the reactivation of ther process.
"We want to recover the agenda, establish a schedule, take up the meetings again and work together on things of common interest," said Caruana. "In any case, both Mancomunidad and Government will play an important part, at local level, in the application of future agreements of the Tripartite Forum. Even if agreements do not happen, we could still work on things that may have less reach but are nevertheless important." Matters that were once discussed in the Commission were later passed to the Forum, which brought about a reduction in contacts among politicians and institutions, which will now intensify with the reactivation of ther process.
The Chief Minister regretted that the initial project between Mancomunidad and Government regarding a common epidemiological study, which was "very frustrating". He also pointed out that the Instituto Cervantes is "more than nearly ready."
For her part, Isabel Beneroso, said that yesterday's meeting, which was followed by a working lunch, was "the first of many that there will be in the future. We want to establish good neighbourly relations." She also pointed out that the Rock's solid waste is treated at the Sur de Europa plant in Los Barrios, which is run by Mancomunidad.
Asked about it by journalists, the Chief Minister would not comment on criticism about his meeting with the Secretary General of the PSOE in La Línea, Gemma Araujo (who held a meeting earlier this week) by that town's Mayor Alejandro Sánchez, except to say that it was "useful, constructive and necessary." Beneroso made no comment on the situation between La Línea and Gibraltar, although she did not close the door on the possibility of her acting as a mediator.
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