MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spain reiterates dialogue and honours Gibraltar personality

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos reiterated this past week his government's commitment to the trilateral forum and a process of dialogue between Spain, Britain and Gibraltar, expressing hopes that a definitive solution to the Gibraltar dispute would be arrived at.

According to the Gibraltar Chronicle, Moratinos said that although Gibraltar had always been an issue on the Foreign Ministry agenda there had always been "friends who have understood that through dialogue and through co-operation and through that spirit of bringing together all problems can be resolved." This is what this Government in two terms has been trying to do with Gibraltar and the United Kingdom, he said. "We want, through friendship and in the creation of an atmosphere of understanding, in this, the 21st century, to find a solution that reaches that final objective that we all want". He said this was the reason for the efforts being made to bring all the parties together. The remarks came at an emotionally charged and friendly ceremony at which Moratinos, on behalf of the King of Spain, the Government of Spain and the Spanish people personally presented Gibraltar veteran political and business figure Solomon Seruya with the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Merito Civil. The award had been announced August 1 2008 by order of King Juan Carlos but Moratinos took an hour out of his busy agenda for the event that was also attended by key figures linked to the process with Gibraltar not least the former UCD Foreign Minister Marcelino Oreja, one of the architects of the Lisbon Agreement, a precursor to the Brussels Agreement of 1984. Spanish parliamentarian Rafael Roman who when president of the Diputacion de Cadiz had made Seruya an "hijo predilecto' (adopted citizen) of Cadiz, was there as was Pepe Carracao, now a senator but an early member of the Mancomunidad and participant in Brussels process talks. Surrounded by close friends and family Seruya was clearly moved as he received what is the equivalent of a Queen's honour, he also received the OBE some years ago. Moratinos said that there had been many petitions and insistence from citizens and representatives of the Congreso for the award to be made and he was sure it was long overdue. It was not only on his friendship with Spain over the years and his persistent call for dialogue that was being recognised. Moratinos highlighted Seruya's important place in the Sephardic community which he said has an historic and profound place in Spain's communities. Also recognised was Seruya's important role as Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines and a defender of the Sephardic community worldwide. It was however his part in the Gibraltarian community that had sustained Seruya's contact with Spain, he said. Responding, Seruya made an emotional dedication of his award to his late wife Frances. She had been able to have a dual sense of 'Spanishness 'and being Gibraltarian long before the Cordoba agreements, he said adding "I don't know how she did it". He recognised the "great luck" Spain has to have such a king as King Juan Carlos, whom he stressed he "respects and admires." Seruya highlighted that he had spent over 50 years in political life and his focus had always been on the respect for the human element above political and party ideology. "Through all those years I have wanted to serve my community in Gibraltar and at the same time from the start, try to find a human relationship and dialogue with Spain." He felt that the points he raised in a working paper in 1965 were still serving as the model for the approach of dialogue. "That has always been my aim".