Addressing the UN General Assembly Spanish President Mariano Rajoy described the Gibraltar situation as a ‘colonial anachronism’ and criticized UK’s dialogue denial attitude on the Rock’s sovereignty. The speech comes at a tense moment in Gibraltar and Spain relations, but according to the Madrid press, Rajoy was less forceful than expected.
Argentina and Spain agreed on Thursday to team up to pressure Britain to discuss their separate claims on British territories: the Falklands in the south Atlantic and Gibraltar near the southern tip of Spain.
A team of European Union inspectors are visiting Gibraltar to investigate a border row that has caused diplomatic tensions between the UK and Spain. London and British Overseas Territory Gibraltar complained to the EU that Spain's over-zealous checks on border traffic were holding up workers and tourists. Spain accuses Gibraltar of not doing enough to combat cigarette smuggling.
Gibraltar has accused Spain of a “crude, last minute” attempt to “disguise and conceal” its normal customs checks at the border, just days ahead of a visit by the European Commission. The EC team arrives on Wednesday and will consist of six experts on EU customs controls and border matters.
Ad hoc’ talks do not mean four sides: that was the swift and firm declaration from the Government of Gibraltar in response to statements made to the Gibraltar Chronicle by Gonzalo de Benito, Spain’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The European Commission is likely to be joining Gibraltar, UK, Spain and the regional authorities from Andalucía at separately held, so called, ‘ad hoc’ talks aimed at resolving fishing and environmental disputes that have dominated the summer, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle Gonzalo de Benito Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The European Commission will send a fact-finding mission to the Gibraltar-Spain border on September 25 to assess Spanish customs controls and their impact on freedom of movement. The date for the mission was confirmed on Wednesday following days of wrangling over the scope of its mandate, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.
The Gibraltar branch of Unite the Union has joined forces with Spanish unions Comisiones Obreras [CC.OO] and Unión General de Trabajadores [UGT] to underscore their collective concern at the deterioration of cross-border relations because of the on-going dispute.
Delegates at the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in South Africa, including Falklands’ delegates approved a motion expressing strong support for Gibraltar and denouncing Spanish political pressure on the Rock as “totally unacceptable”.
While Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy held a one-to-one meeting with his British counterpart David Cameron on the G20 Summit sidelines in Russia to discuss the Gibraltar sovereignty dispute, officials of the British overseas territory accused Madrid of setting a “pre-war environment.”