MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK summons Spanish ambassador following the latest incursion in Gibraltar territorial waters

Ambassador Federico Trillo has been summoned to the Foreign Office for the third time since 2011.

Acting Permanent Under Secretary Matthew Rycroft summoned the Spanish Ambassador H.E. Federico Trillo on Tuesday afternoon to raise the United Kingdom’s serious concerns regarding a significant incursion into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters on 18 and 19 November.

 This is the third time the Spanish Ambassador has been publicly summoned in relation to Gibraltar since the current Spanish government took office in December 2011.

“The UK remains confident of its sovereignty over the whole of Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and the Spanish incursions are unlawful: they do not change international law or weaken the legal basis for British sovereignty” said Rycroft.

During the meeting, the Acting Permanent Under Secretary also highlighted the unacceptable border delays which continue to affect Gibraltarians and tourists, as well as large numbers of Spanish commuters benefiting from employment in Gibraltar, on a near-daily basis. The European Commission has given Spain clear recommendations which, if implemented, would improve the functioning of the border. The UK expects the Spanish government to act on these recommendations without delay.

Matthew Rycroft reiterated the UK’s commitment to ad hoc talks, as proposed by the Foreign Secretary in April 2012, as a means to work around incompatible positions on format that have previously prevented dialogue.

On the Monday incident the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) and the Royal Navy dealt with an incursion by the Guardia Civil in Sandy Bay, which resulted in the Spanish authority retreating home. The Guardia Civil had entered British Gibraltar’s Territorial Waters at around 11am and approached Red Wolf, a semi-displacement heavily fendered steel crew boat that is assisting in the works carried out in the area at present.

UK Minister for Europe, David Lidington said that despite repeated diplomatic protests to Spain in relation to incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in recent months, a Spanish State research vessel, the RV Ramon Margalef, undertook significant surveying activity in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters on 18 and 19 November for over 20 hours.

“When challenged by radio, the vessel responded that it was conducting survey work with the permission of the Spanish authorities and in the interests of the European Community. This comes only two weeks after dangerous maneuvers by a Spanish Guardia Civil vessel in the vicinity of Royal Navy vessels in British waters put lives at risk and resulted in a minor collision”, underlined Lidington.

The Minister for Europe insisted that according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the waters around Gibraltar are indisputably British territorial waters, under United Kingdom sovereignty, in which only the United Kingdom has the right to exercise jurisdiction. Spain is a Party to this Convention and is fully aware of the legal position, yet has, over the past two years, increased the level of unlawful incursions by Spanish State vessels into British territorial waters from around five per month to around 40 per month.

“I strongly condemn this provocative incursion and urge the Spanish government to ensure that it is not repeated. We stand ready to do whatever is required to protect Gibraltar’s sovereignty, economy and security. We believe that it is in the interests of Spain, Gibraltar and Britain to avoid incidents such as this that damage the prospects for establishing dialogue and cooperation. We remain confident of UK sovereignty over the whole of Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, and will respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar” concluded Lidington”.