Prime Minister Theresa May took a personal interest in Gibraltar on Sunday evening, attending the Gibraltar Government’s reception at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham and delivering a clear, unequivocal message: “We back Gibraltar.”
The Aquarius 2 migrant rescue ship, the last of its kind operating in the central Mediterranean trafficking route, was told by the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) on Sunday that it will have its registration withdrawn. The boat is currently at sea with 58 survivors on board.
The Spanish Government hopes to reach agreement on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relations with Spain and the EU by October against the backdrop of the UK’s wider withdrawal negotiations, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday.
Brexit will “neither defeat nor define” Gibraltar, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said on Monday in a rallying call on the 25th anniversary of National Day, the last one before the UK and Gibraltar leave the European Union.
A total of 32 parliamentarians will be coming to Gibraltar on a working visit to participate in the BOT's National Day events, September 10. That number includes Members of the House of Commons, of the House of Lords, of the Northern Ireland Assembly and of the European Parliament.
A three-day symposium entitled “Bordering on Brexit: Global Britain and the Embers of the Empire” will be held next month at the Garrison Library in Gibraltar. The conference will commence after an opening speech by Gibraltar Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, and throughout the event speakers will analyse different aspects of Brexit in detail.
The Government of Gibraltar has, since 2016, been preparing for all possible outcomes in relation to the departure of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar from the European Union. This is a perfectly sensible thing to do in view of the ongoing UK/EU discussions and the preparations for all eventualities announced by both sides.
Influential EU states such as Germany, France and Spain will block any attempt by the UK to remain within the single market for goods without freedom of movement, the Spanish Foreign Minister has said. Josep Borrell said that some smaller EU states might privately be willing to negotiate reform of the bloc’s free movement rules in order to keep easy access to UK products.
The Falkland Islands flag is currently flying above No 6 Convent Place to commemorate the Falkland Islands’ Liberation Day.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told the United Nations on Monday that Gibraltar was ready to work with Spain’s new Socialist government for the mutual benefit of citizens on both sides of the border. This, he underscored, did not deviate from Gibraltar’s cast-iron position on sovereignty and the principle of self-determination.