MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar celebrates 25th anniversary of frontier opening with Spain

Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana

Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana declared that the Tripartite Forum (Gib., UK, Spain) must be consolidated as the vehicle for cross-border dialogue so that its existence is not dependent on a change of Government in either Spain or Gibraltar.

In an interview with the news agency EFE, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the frontier opening in 1985, Mr Caruana said he would much prefer it if the respective (Spanish) oppositions – PP and GSLP – were to support the creation of the forum in principle,

so that if there were to be a change of government “in either one or the other or in the two places,” this would not have adverse consequences for it.

The alternative to the Forum, he declared, is “condemning us all to another 300 years of disagreement.”

He also described the frontier opening of 1985 as one of the “great and most significant events that Gibraltar and the Campo have experienced in their respective development processes.”

Mr Caruana said the Forum was seen as a point of contact by those who wished to achieve normalisation in the relationship, without it meaning any of the sides giving up its “position or aspirations as a nation or as a people”.

The Chief Minister noted the fundamental objections against the Forum held by both the PP and the GSLP, arguing that their opposition to it was “political” and was not related to “whatever progress may or may not be achieved as a result of it”.

“As far as they are concerned, the steps that are taken in day to day relations and benefits that accrue from this, for the citizens and for cross-border institutional relations is of no consequence.”

In related news te first Gibraltarian Chief Justice was officially sworn in at a ceremony at The Convent. Anthony Dudley, 43, was appointed last week and further judicial appointments are expected to be announced shortly in relation to the Puisne judges.

Gibraltar Governor Sir Adrian Johns hosted the event which also counted with the attendance of Chief Minister Peter Caruana, Mr Speaker Haresh Budhrani and Dr John Cortes, President of the Gibraltar Magistrates’ Association.

The Association said it is pleased that a former colleague and Stipendiary Magistrate, with whom many Justices of the Peace worked closely at the Magistrates’ Court, has now assumed the post of Chief Justice after years of excellent service.

“The Association considers it particularly appropriate that this appointment has come at a time of great change in Gibraltar’s Justice system, which will include major law reforms and new court facilities. It looks forward to continuing to work with the new Chief Justice in further improving the delivery of Justice in Gibraltar,” it said