MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caruana to London for Trilateral and Defence talks

Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana is scheduled to meet with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in London this week. This was confirmed to the Gibraltar Chronicle by the local government.

Mr Caruana, who is to be accompanied by Chief Secretary Ernest Montado, will be focus the discussions, which include Foreign Office officials, principally on issues relating to constitutional reform and to issues under negotiation in the Trilateral Forum (UK, Gibraltar and Spain). He is also to meet with Defence Minister Adam Ingram.

The meeting comes as Spanish pensions and use of the airport are issues at a critical stage. It is understood that a meeting of the trilateral forum, but not at ministerial level, is being considered for this month.

Ministerial talks continue to be shunted to an unfixed future date as sensitive technical issues remain to be resolved ahead of any announcement that could be made at a meeting of Mr Straw, his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos and Mr Caruana.

Spain has made clear that agreements that would set off improved practical relations including frontier flow and co-operation affecting flights, must be concluded as a package. There are indications that Spain is considering contributing towards payment of Spanish pension increases if Britain also agrees. But the form of any agreement also could have implications in Gibraltar.

Spain is meanwhile also pressing for Britain to give written reassurances that no nuclear repairs on submarines will take place in Gibraltar.

The meeting with Defence Minister Ingram could touch on this issue although the future of MoD jobs in Gibraltar is likely to be the priority on that agenda.