MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar Breaking News.

Headlines:
Princess Anne arrives in Gibraltar; Spain lodges formal complaint; Cruise issue: UK seeks permanent solution; Spain continues military blockade; Financial journalists invited to the Rock.

Princess Anne arrives in Gibraltar

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne arrived this Monday in Gibraltar for a visit that will extend until June 30. Princess Anne is scheduled to attend a number of events including visits to the new Sports Hall, Casemates Square, John Mackintosh Square, The Mount, HQBF, the Garrison Library, the Upper Rock, St Andrew's Church and the Citizens Advice Bureau. Gibraltar is celebrating this year its tercentenary. Responding to Spanish media reports portraying the visit by the Princess Royal as ?the first Royal visit to Gibraltar since the Queen's visit over fifty years ago', the local government said that there have been eight Royal visits to Gibraltar in the last eleven years. The visits are as follows: Duke of York, Prince Andrew (October 1993 and July 1995): the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip (May 1996): the Duke of Kent (July 1998): the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra (October 1999): the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward (August 2001).

Spain lodges formal complaint.

Spain lodged a formal complaint to Britain over the visit by the Princess Royal and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos voiced his "displeasure". But Chief Minister Peter Caruana urged Gibraltarians to give Princess Anne "an enthusiastic warm and loyal welcome to Gibraltar during this our Tercentenary celebrations." "The formal complaint by the Spanish Government to HRH the Princess Royal's visit to Gibraltar on Monday is incomprehensible Gibraltar is British Sovereign Territory and a part of Her Majesty's Realms. According to Spain the Treaty of Utrecht remains valid and under the Treaty the effect of which they not only claim to recognize, but indeed rely on at the United Nations, Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in perpetuity. There is therefore no rationale or credible basis for Spain's objection," he said. The remarks by Spain come in a period of increased delays at Gibraltar's frontier. Over the weekend the Spanish Foreign Ministry announced that Mr. Moratinos had called in the British Ambassador Stephen Wright to communicate the Spanish Government's unhappiness at the visit. The statement reads: "The Spanish Government wishes to reiterate its displeasure and opposition to the programme of commemorative events in Gibraltar and Britain on the tercentenary of the occupation of Gibraltar which are inopportune and which injure the sensibilities of the Spanish people." "In this context the Spanish Government also considers inopportune the planned visit by HRH Princess Anne of England. Although the British Government has stated that there is no direct relationship between this visit and the occupation of Gibraltar, there is undoubtedly a link at least in the timing." The statement goes on to say that, in all events, the Spanish Foreign Minister, "has conveyed to the British Ambassador the respect and affection of the Spanish Government and the Spanish people for Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of England." A Gibraltar government spokesman said that the Gibraltar Government "deeply regrets that the Spanish Government should think that our commemoration of 300 years of our history of our links of Britain and of our British sovereignty is offensive to the Spanish people." "The Gibraltar Government similarly regrets that, whilst professing ?respect and affection' for HRH The Princess Royal, the Spanish Government should nevertheless seek to embarrass her by embroiling her visit in unnecessary controversy."

Cruise issue: UK seeks permanent solution.

Britain continues to seek a permanent solution to the cruise ship issue Foreign Office Minister Denis MacShane told the House of Commons, and although there have been no incidents over the last month, the British Government regard Spanish interference with cruise-liner traffic en route from Gibraltar to Spain as "unacceptable and illegal". "To this end our Permanent Representation to the European Union has asked the Commission to investigate. We understand that the Commission has since taken this issue up with Spain. In addition, officials from the UK Permanent Representation in Brussels have been in close and frequent contact with officials from EU Competition Director General in recent weeks, regarding the compatibility of Gibraltar's proposed corporate tax reforms with EC rules on State Aid. The Government of Gibraltar has played a full part in these discussions," he said. Spanish press reports said that the European Commission has written to the Spanish authorities seeking an explanation for the action taken against cruise liners stopping at Gibraltar. It had indicated that it will consider infraction proceedings against Spain if it decides that an investigation is necessary. The Spanish Foreign Ministry has in turn said that the decisions on vessel entries are the responsibility of Spain's merchant navy department the Direcion General de Marina Mercante.

Spain continues military blockade.

Any request to over-fly Spanish airspace by military aircraft from NATO (or other) nations, which has Gibraltar as a departure or arrival airfield, is routinely denied by the Spanish authorities. This was confirmed in the Commons this week by Adam Ingram, Defence Minster of State. He said that NATO Standardization Agreement, (STANAG) 1100, sets out the procedures for visits to NATO and non-NATO ports by naval ships of NATO nations. This Agreement contains a reservation, inserted by the previous Spanish Government, which prevents visits by NATO ships to or from Gibraltar directly from or to Spanish ports. Lindsay Hoyle MP had asked if Royal Navy ships that call at Gibraltar may then call at Spain and if Royal Navy ships that call at Spain may then call at Gibraltar; and whether Royal Navy aircraft may fly over Spain and land at Royal Air Force base Gibraltar.

Financial journalists invited to the Rock.

A group of eleven UK-based financial journalists visited Gibraltar last week at the invitation of the Government. This now regular event consisted of presentations by the Government, regulator and private sector and other events, culminating in a press briefing by the Chief Minister at No. 6 Convent Place. A reception was held for the journalists attended by representatives from the Finance Centre Department, the Financial Services Commission and the Finance Centre Council.