MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar Tripartite dialogue dead, announces Spanish Vice president

Soraya Saenz de Santamaria: talks on cooperation matters will continue

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Margallo has sent a letter to his UK counterpart William Hague responding to Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks on self-determination.

Mr Cameron had said that to impose changes on the people of Gibraltar would be a form of “re-colonisation” and that he supported “self-determination.”

Garcia Margallo is reported to have stated that Spain does not share that view given the Treaty of Utrecht 1713 and UN doctrine, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

The Mariano Rajoy government in Madrid is insisting on a return to the old Brussels Agreement where there can be quadripartite talks on co-operation but with all sovereignty and jurisdictional matters reserved for bi-laterals between UK and Spain.

The Spanish Government has also confirmed that the Tripartite forum is no longer a policy for Spain. The statement was made by Vice-president Soraya Saenz de Santamaria. “As far as we are concerned Tripartitie Fora will not be held,” she told journalists.

She said however that Gibraltar and the Campo could continue to talk on co-operation matters “something that was not happening under the tripartite talks”.

Meanwhile Garcia Margallo responded to cross border Spanish workers in the Campo saying that they are a priority for Spain. He said Spain would continue to defend their employment and social interests. Madrid estimates that 4,000 workers are employed in Gibraltar.