The British Government has no plans “at present” to extend British territorial waters around the Rock but does not rule out doing so in the future. The position was revealed in a statement by David Lidington, Britain’s Minister for Europe, in response to a question in the House of Commons.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has told German readers of Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung that he is firmly convinced that Gibraltar will never be Spanish because today’s Europe is about the people rather than the states.
“The Queen is not aware that we are in the XXIst century and she follows the colonialist tradition of the United Kingdom”, claimed Argentine Senator Daniel Filmus, the first reaction to the Queen’s strong message in support of the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar right to determine their political futures.
By Harold Briley from London - The Falkland Islands and Gibraltar have been reassured by the British Government that it will protect their right to choose their own way of government. The pledge was contained in the Government’s programmer and new laws for the forthcoming session of Parliament, outlined in the traditional Queen’s Speech to both Houses of Parliament.
Britain reaffirmed on Wednesday that it will ensure and protect the right to the Falkland Islanders and Gibraltarians to determine their political futures. The strong message was included in HM Queen Elizabeth traditional annual address to Parliament setting out the legislative program for the government of PM David Cameron.
UK Minister for Europe David Lidington has warned that an escalation of tension with Spain in the waters row could damage Gibraltar’s prosperity and wider UK interests and pointed out that the incursions were not “an armed attack or invasion” and that the response to them must be proportionate.
Gibraltar will commemorate, not celebrate the 300 year old Treaty of Utrecht this year, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, told members of the Fabian Society in London earlier this week. The treaty refers to the cession in perpetuity by Spain to the British Crown of Gibraltar in 1713 under Article X of the agreement which put an end to the War of Spanish Succession (1701/1714)
By Jose C. Moya (*) - The recent referendum’s near unanimous support for British rule seems to leave little space for negotiations. The passing of Thatcher -- who was seen as a liberator by most Islanders -- will, if anything, harden their position by reviving memories of the war. And the position of the Argentine population is equally hard, if the recent revival and political use of the issue by the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is any indication.
The Spanish Government has declared that it will back legal action by the Spanish Football Federation to block Gibraltar’s membership of UEFA. “We will take the necessary measures in our power to avoid a situation which is contrary to the sporting strategy of the Spanish state.”
The prime ministers of Spain and Britain will meet in Madrid during the second week of April, according to a weekend report in ABC. The article said the meeting between Mariano Rajoy and David Cameron would centre primarily on the Euro-zone crisis.