John Culatto
CHIEF Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo said that a successful EU treaty could bring ‘an economic boom’ to the local area on a leading Spanish radio programme.
Picardo’s comments to Angels Barcelo on the ‘Hoy por Hoy’ Cadena Ser national radio programme broadcast live from Gibraltar.
He claimed that UK Foreign Minister David Cameron was ‘a friend of Gibraltar’ and that he personally had ‘a very good understanding’ with him.
It followed two days of EU treaty negotiations in London between the UK, Spain and the EU in London.
But there has not been any firm statement from either side concerning the 14th round of the talks.
The Chief Minister told Barcelo the negotiations have been ‘like a game of poker’ where all the players know where decisions will lead them.
But he still has hope that both sides will come to an agreement which could benefit both sides of the current frontier.
“If you look at a map you will see Gibraltar and its bay are at the centre of the world,” he told Barcelo.
“We can be the most important logistical area at the entry and exit of the Mediterranean.
“We have privileged access to the UK while the Campo has privileged access to the EU.
“If we combine that, it will be difficult not to have an economic boom that is bigger than this area has seen in all of history.”
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares had before the talks mentioned the airport as necessary for an agreement.
But Picardo said he did not want to talk about the issues of the negotiations or set a date for the treaty to be signed.
The Chief Minister’s words followed Cameron’s recent report that the relationship was more ‘positive’ after all the post-Brexit anger subsided.
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