Walter Finch
THE British foreign minister has insisted that a deal for Gibraltar must ‘protect the Rock’s sovereignty and the autonomy of the United Kingdom’s military base there.’
David Lammy was speaking to the Spanish press while in Madrid, where he was attending a meeting of European foreign ministers as part of the G5+ summit, which included his counterparts from Germany, France, Poland, and Italy as well as Spain.
“All parties agree on the importance of concluding an agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom,” told El Pais.
“I welcome the progress made. These are complex negotiations that take time, but we are committed to reaching that agreement as soon as possible.
“Any agreement must have the full support of the Gibraltar government,” he added.
Recent reporting has indicated that the Spanish side has ‘taken sovereignty off the table’ and that an agreement has been reached on the military base, fuelling speculation from both sides that a deal is ‘very close’.
The comments came after Lammy met with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares at the summit sidelines, where they both reiterated their desire to reach ‘an agreement regarding Gibraltar.’
Albares wrote on his social media: “Our close relations benefit our citizens.
“Together, we defend democratic values, European security, and peace in the face of Russian aggression. We both want an agreement on Gibraltar.”
Talk has been accelerating in the last couple of weeks of an increased willingness from the Spanish side to strike a deal which has triggered hopes of a breakthrough.
READ MORE: Team of British officials in Gibraltar ‘merely routine and not a sign a treaty is imminent’
Darren Cerisola, the president of the Cross-Frontier Group, told GBC last week that a meeting with the PP-controlled Junta de Andalucia in Algeciras has been surprisingly ‘helpful and constructive.’
“I anticipated a much tougher discussion, particularly from Juanma Moreno, but it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.
“The atmosphere was completely different from what I expected. It was significant to see the PP showing empathy and discussing their shared concerns for both Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.
“The conversation was constructive rather than adversarial.
“The first thing that was taken off the table immediately was the issue of sovereignty,” Cerisola continued.
“That was no longer a point of contention—they had moved past it, which allowed us to focus on discussing the agreement itself.”
It follows on from a series of meetings held in London last week between Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and European Commission Principal Adviser Clara Martinez Alberola and Spanish State Secretary for the EU Fernando Sampedro.
The talks were billed as ‘the final round’, heightening anticipation that a deal will be announced imminently.
The mayor of San Roque, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, who is also Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Spain’s Congress of Deputies, has even said that ‘only small details remain to reach an agreement.’
However, sources on the British side have urged caution.
“Yes it’s close, but nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” they told the Olive Press.
