Thursday, 14 April 2011

Lidington closes door on negotiations on sovereignty

GIBRALTAR (GibChronicle) Britain's Minister for Europe, David Lidington, stated yesterday in Gibraltar that there was no commitment to raise the question of sovereignty with Spain, about which there is an "historical debate." During his meeting with Chief Minister Peter Caruana at 6, Convent Place, the Conservative MP repeated that London will not reach any agreements, nor enter into any conversations with Madrid against the wishes of Gibraltarians, "who pronounced themsleves clearly on the subject in 2002. The United Kingdom and Spain are allies and have a strong relationship. There is permanent contact because there are many bilateral matters about which to speak, but not on sovereignty.">
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Lidington, who stated that the UK takes the same position privately when meeting Spanish authorities, added that the British Government is still committed to the Tripartite Forum, "where matters that benefit both sides can be debated." On this point, the minister pointed out that for the process to get under way again "some difficulties" must be overcome, referring to incidents with the Guardia Civil in waters that London considers British.

"We look upon these incursions with concern because they are a challenge to British sovereignty over those waters but also because security in the area must be guaranteed. A misunderstanding could have tragic consequences. I think the matter can be resolved and that it is possible to work towards cooperating in the waters to the satisfaction of all parts," said Lidington, who went on to praise Gibraltar's economy and "political maturity" after the new Constitution. He insisted, too, on the need to move forward with the Forum. "What is good for Gibraltar is good for the Campo, and vice versa," he added.

The idea of coming to an agreement with Spain about cooperation is intact, added the minister, "but always within the context of respect for Britain and Gibraltar's position over control and jurisdiction [over the waters]. Any other context is incompatible with cooperation."  He argued, too, that the Forum "is the only possible vehicle for dialogue. The process exists because there are problems to solve. I'm not certain that we are close to finding the formula that will solve these problems at this time. What I do know is that, in Gibraltar's case, our elections are not a problem and that, if sovereignty is resolved, agreement could come at any time."

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