MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
”Gibraltar at this moment, a minor issue” says Spanish Conservative think-tank
Rafael Bardají, director of foreign policy at the Fundación FAES A senior director at a Conservative think-tank founded by Jose Maria Aznar, Spain’s former Popular Party prime minister, said Gibraltar was low on the list of priorities for Madrid, particularly at a time of crisis when it needed the UK as an ally.
Rafael Bardají, director of foreign policy at the Fundación FAES, was asked about the Rock during a wide-ranging interview published by the online news site El Imparcial.
He said Spain had no interest in reopening this issue at a time when both the EU and North Africa were in a state of flux. “Gibraltar is, at this moment, a minor issue”.
“Anyway, we cannot get wrapped up in a discussion over Gibraltar with the UK when what we need is to be close to them and not lose sight of the fact that Morocco is an unstable monarchy that could explode at any moment,” he said.
On North Africa, he added that Islamism could generate a force for radicalisation that could raise questions about the future of Ceuta and Melilla.
Inocencio Arias, a veteran Spanish diplomat and former ambassador to the UN, reflected on Spain’s relations with Gibraltar during a talk in Algeciras last week.
He said that Spain had failed to advance its goals in respect of Gibraltar, both by shutting the border and by seeking cooperation through the tripartite forum.
“I don’t believe that Gibraltarians have come closer to Spain as a result of the policy of good neighbourly relations,” he said during a talk last week in Algeciras.
He said he “sincerely” had no solution to the Gibraltar question.
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Read all comments“ He said he “sincerely” had no solution to the Gibraltar question.”
Dec 21st, 2011 - 02:07 am 0Recognition is, in fact, the only solution. Much as it is for Argentina's failed attempts to get anywhere with its spurious claims to the Falklands.
Bardají is one of the clearest examples of the anglosaxon lobby in Spain. he would like to return Spain again to 2003 with the picture of Bush, Blair and Aznar. Indeed, he will go back the great scam of the agreements of 2002 and the trick of the Parsley Island.
Dec 21st, 2011 - 08:09 am 0Problem for spain is, one do they side with britain in order to protect their fishing industry that operates in the south atlantice in the falkland islands. Whilst at the same time combatting their debt issues in which they need the UK for.
Dec 21st, 2011 - 11:35 am 0Or, do they side make a fuss over Gibraltar, like argentina has with the falklands and face losing their fishing industry in the south atlantic and face an even worser outlook on their debt issues as a result of the UK no longer being on their side to support them.
I think option 1 is the likely and only route that Spain can follow. So i also suspect they would use their navy to protect their fishing industry in the south atlantic in cooperation with the british navy. So sorry Argentina looks like your strongest ally to your claim over the falklands is not on your side but on the UK's side. Which given you claim you inherited the islands from spain, only goes to show that Spain does not agree with you.
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