MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UK reaffirms support for Gibraltar and warns about “escalation”
Lidington praised the “restraint and great dignity” shown by Gibraltarians in the face of Spain’s “disproportionate and unlawful” checks Europe Minister David Lidington repeated the UK’s commitment to the people of Gibraltar in a speech to a packed Gibraltar Day reception in the Guildhall in London. Lidington spoke of the close ties that continued to bind the City of London and the UK to Gibraltar.
He said the UK Government would continue to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar to remain British for as long as they wished to and added that in the long term, the British and Gibraltar Governments remained committed to a diplomatic solution to the ongoing dispute.
“Escalation would be in nobody’s interests,” he said.
Mr Lidington said Britain would stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Gibraltar and praised the “restraint and great dignity” shown by Gibraltarians in the face of Spain’s “disproportionate and unlawful” checks.
In the long term, he said the UK and Gibraltar remained committed to resume trilateral dialogue whenever Spain was ready to do so.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo echoed the British minister’s words and said people should know better than to try to knock the commitment of the people of Gibraltar to remain British.
“I can confidently tell you tonight that this celebration of the partnership between the United Kingdom and this City of London is growing in strength,” he told around 1000 guests packed into the Guildhall.
That partnership was growing “...in stability and growing in mutual commitment.”
CM Picardo said the political relationship with the UK was “stronger than ever.”
“And in that context, the future holds no challenge that the British people of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom cannot see off together,” he underlined.
Top Comments
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Read all commentsPlans are obviously afoot.
Oct 22nd, 2013 - 08:35 pm 0Gibraltar has been ramping up its distinct identity internationally a lot more lately. And the UK is now also pushing the 'relationship' and 'links' between the two separate 'countries'.
No wonder Spain is so annoyed. It's trying to get the world to see Gibraltar as part of Spain and here's Gibraltar in everyone's faces as a fully functional state.
UK and Gibraltar play the long game and Spain still doesn't realise it.
Doesn't Spain still realise it?
Oct 22nd, 2013 - 09:42 pm 0What part of “Escalation would be in nobody's interests” do not you understand?
Spain is testing when start screaming in Gibraltar and London. Two hours queues at the border is no longer enough, then they have reached 4 hours today with special units antiterrorist of Guardia Civil. The Guardia Civil boats cause no reaction, send corvettes of the Armada with 76 mm cannons and harpoons. This week there have been military maneuvers in a circle of 100 km around Gibraltar.
The thing looks bad, I'm afraid. Soon we will be looking for a way out without losing the tail.
1 “Asdrubal”
Oct 22nd, 2013 - 11:48 pm 0“The thing looks bad, I'm afraid. Soon we will be looking for a way out without losing the tail.”
Who is “we”?
And what is the “tail”?
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