Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo congratulated Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on his recent appointment and insisted that Spain’s action in Gibraltar is simply to seek compliance with legal obligations, but nevertheless called for dialogue.
Spain believes negotiation with Britain is the only realistic avenue for a resolution of the claim it makes over Gibraltar and its waters and that only by a decision of the United Nations can decolonization of the Rock be settled.
The Spanish Government has “not taken any step back” in relation to its Gibraltar policy “but it has taken many steps forward”, the country’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo has declared. Despite the issue having dropped profile in the news since recent weeks, it is an issue “permanently” on the Spanish agenda, the Spanish official told Onda Cero radio.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel García-Margallo has expressed confidence that Madrid would win a legal case over jurisdiction of Gibraltar’s isthmus, though he was less certain about success in any challenge over the waters. He said the isthmus was not ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht and “illegally” occupied, but that Spain had yet to decide whether to “legally reclaim it or not”.
Spain’s President Mariano Rajoy has declared his intent to sustain both good relations with Britain and tough controls on Gibraltar at the border. The remarks came in an interview with Radio Nacional de España in which he defended Spain’s attitude to Gibraltar.
The Junta de Andalucia must have an equal status to Gibraltar in any UK/Spain talks in which the British Overseas Territory participates, Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo declared at a press conference following a meeting with Junta president Susana Diaz.
Britain has asked the EU to “urgently” send a team to Gibraltar “to gather evidence” on extra border checks at the centre of a growing row with Spain. PM David Cameron spoke to EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to raise “serious concerns” that Spain's actions are “politically motivated”.
Prime Minister David Cameron is “seriously concerned” about the escalation of tensions at the Spanish-Gibraltar border. Spain has said it is considering a range of proposals including a new 50 Euro (£43) fee to cross the border with the British territory.
The Spanish Ambassador in London was summoned to the Foreign Office in relation to delays at the Gibraltar border this weekend.
Foreign Affairs minister José Manuel García-Margallo has told his UK counterpart, William Hague that Spain will continue to enforce strict Gibraltar border checks “whenever necessary” because this was in line with Madrid’s EU obligations and that Guardia Civil officers were searching for contraband.