A very wet naming and blessing ceremony of the Sir William Jackson (*) took place on Tuesday the 19th of February at 3.30pm at the Royal Gibraltar Police Marine Section at Coaling Island. Speaking at the ceremony Commissioner Eddie Yome thanked HM Government of Gibraltar for continuing to invest in providing assets to the RGP.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo this week wrote to the Financial Times after the respected financial daily made a glaring error about Gibraltar in an editorial column centred on Argentina.
The Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has contacted the US government to express its unease over the recent visit by the Gibraltar Government to Washington, according to reports published in Spain.
Gibraltar must remain steadfast in its own position on sovereignty the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has made clear. In a wide-ranging New Year message broadcast last week on GBC Mr Picardo took up the recent remarks made by Spain’s ruling party (Partido Popular) and urged them to return to tripartite dialogue as the (opposition) PSOE in Andalucia is also urging.
A Royal Navy warship used a routine logistical visit to Gibraltar on Wednesday to patrol British waters around the Rock. The highly unusual move came a day after an incursion by a Spanish Navy vessel and against the background of diplomatic tension between the UK and Spain over the waters row.
Gibraltar Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo held a meeting on Monday with UK Minister for Europe David Lidington in which they discussed their concerns over Spain’s purporting to pass legislation banning land reclamation and the offshore storage of fuel in Gibraltar waters.
Spain’s decision to pull out of the trilateral process was formally recorded in the consensus decision on Gibraltar adopted by the United Nations General Assembly this year.
There was a marked escalation in the dispute over Gibraltar’s territorial waters as Britain and Spain both hardened their diplomatic stance in the wake of recent incursions.
Gibraltar said it complies with European Union and OECD regulations regarding finance centres and also indicated that it was willing to enter a double taxation treaty with Spain.
Britain this week raised the issue of disproportionate Gibraltar border checks and delays “at the highest level” with the Spanish Government. The issue was revealed in Parliament by Europe Minister David Lidington who was responding to a question in an emergency debate instigated by the all party Gibraltar group.