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Chief minister's ministerial statement as relations with Britain go downhill With relations between Gibraltar and the UK government on a downhill course, the Gibraltar chief minister Peter Caruana is to make a ministerial statement on Monday evening. He will be spelling out the course of action his government intends to take following fears that the UK is about to sell-out Gibraltar's British sovereignty to Spain, which claims the Rock. Mr Caruana's personal relations with Foreign Office minister Peter Hain, the UK minister responsible for Gibraltar, appear to have reached a point of no return. Mr Hain has been saying that "all the conditions are in place" to allow Mr Caruana to attend the Anglo-Spanish talks on 20 November in Barcelona, but Mr Caruana has retorted that Mr Hain "appears to ignore and obfuscate" that the Foreign Office has, in fact, refused to accede to the Gibraltar Government's request for participation, which is to have a separate voice and veto. CARUANA IS WRONG, SAYS PIQUÉ Meanwhile, the Spanish foreign minister Josep Piqué told the Spanish press on Sunday that he regrets the position of the chief minister. "I think he is wrong and the best way to defend the interests of the Gibraltarians is to take part in the talks," said Sr Piqué, who adds that for the first time in history the UK was showing a clear will to resolve the dispute. Earlier Sr Piqué said that Britain and Spain "will continue to discuss the Rock's future with or without the Gibraltarian authorities." The Gibraltar leader of the opposition Joe Bossano says that relations with London have never been so bad, and that he will stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Mr Caruana if he intends to stop the sell-out. Gibraltar takes comfort in the words of the UK shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram who has accused Mr Hain of browbeating Gibraltar. Mr Hain's pronouncements "do not sound like the comments of a minister about to enter even-handed discussions." (11.11.01) Gibraltar fears sovereignty sell-out, says The Times
Gibraltarians fear 'sell out' to Spain, says Daily Telegraph
Gibraltar
accuses UK of preparing to sell out to Spain, says The Independent Britain sparked a furious reaction from the government of Gibraltar yesterday after calling for its people to accept "fresh thinking" during negotiations with Spain over the Rock's
future, says The Independent. Gibraltar attacks decision to resume talks with Spanish PM, says The Scotsman
Tony Blair was dragged into a full-scale row yesterday after the foreign office minister Peter Hain said theGibraltar government would be consulted on the overseas territory's future, but had no veto on talks with Spain, reports The Guardian. Mr Hain said the people of Gibraltar had to "move on", in an effort to end the row over the former colony, which was ceded by Spain in 1713. The Foreign Office wants to construct a beneficial deal on future links between Spain and Gibraltar that could create popular support on the Rock to join Spain in a referendum. "All I am asking for is a little bit of fresh thinking. That is not a lot to ask," said Mr Hain. The Gibraltar government, however, refused to join the talks, saying it feared Gibraltarians were about to be sold out. Its chief minister, Peter Caruana, described as "extraordinary" claims by Mr Hain that Gibraltarians had everything to gain and nothing to lose from the discussions. The Gibraltar government said it would join the talks only if it was given written assurances it would have a veto on anything decided between the two governments. Mr
Caruana said the issue was not one of citizenship, but of British
sovereignty: "The British government commitment to the people
of Gibraltar is not to retaining citizenship, but instead the land
of Gibraltar. The sovereignty of the territory will not be bartered
with Spain over the heads of and against the wishes of the
people."(10.11.01) Gibraltar: Press in Spain makes it plain The press in Spain has made it plain that a new approach has emerged between Britain and Spain, geared towards finding a solution to the Gibraltar issue. The fact that the new approach has the blessing of both prime ministers, Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, is being seen as offering promise of a solution. The media in Spain gives blanket coverage to yesterday's meeting in Downing Street between Blair and Aznar. This will pave the way to the 20 November meeting in Barcelona between foreign ministers, under the framework of the Brussels process, which seek to remove all differences between London and Madrid over Gibraltar. A leading Barcelona paper, La Vanguardia, says that both leaders see it possible to arrive at a solution, with Blair saying that both countries start off with their differing respective positions. However, he made it clear that there is now a desire to find solutions. A solution is possible, but it will not be easy, says the paper. Other leading papers and radio and TV stations in Spain have carried the news. The Malaga daily 'Sur' highlights what many others also do, that is that both Blair and Aznar are decidedly committed to find solutions. In the Cay islands the headlines shifted to saying that Britain had assured that the future of Gibraltar will be decided by its inhabitants. The Madrid conservative daily 'ABC' says that countries which are "friends and allies" will seek a solution. A similar line is taken by the lading daily 'El Pais'. The prospect of a solution being found to the 300-year old Anglo-Spanish dispute over Gibraltar is news both at a national and regional level. Gibraltar was ceded by Britain to Spain under the 1713 treaty of Utrecht "to be enjoyed for ever", but Madrid wants it back and the Gibraltarians want to remain British in a British Gibraltar. (10.11.01)
Both Blair and Aznar say they want to make 'progress' on Gibraltar The prime ministers of Britain and Spain said today that they want to make progress on the Gibraltar issue, speaking after a meeting at 10 Downing Street. Both welcomed, and reiterated, the relaunch of the Brussels process. The relations between Britain and Spain have changed enormously, said Blair, and we intend to make progress. We both stand by our own positions, he added, saying that they were embarked on a process in which difficulties should be resolved as among friends and allies. Aznar said that they both endorsed the work being carried out by their foreign ministers, and encouraged them to go forward, to resolve the various issues affecting Gibraltar. While both stood by their traditional positions, it was "important" that "we discuss the issues." Mr Caruana, the Gibraltar chief minister, was entitled to take part within the UK delegation. Aznar confirmed that both he and Blair had given the impetus to the Brussels process. It was about cooperation and sovereignty, and they were prepared to talk about both issues. We want Mr Caruana to attend as part of the UK delegation, but we are prepared to go ahead if he does not attend - that was the message from Aznar. They were 'decidedly' committed to this issue. (09.11.01) It is the UK itself which says that Gibraltar's situation is untenable, says Spanish minister Spanish government spokesman Pio Cabanillas said at a news conference today that it was the UK itself that made the pronouncement that Gibraltar's current status is unsustainable. He was answering questions on the resumption of the Brussels process. Cabanillas was disappointed that in Spain itself "we are not attaching proper importance to the fact that the Brussels process on the future of the Rock has been resumed, neither are we attaching the proper importance to the fact that it was the British themselves who said that the situation is untenable." He repeated the well-known Spanish view that Madrid will not yield on the essential issue of sovereignty, but it is open to discuss any UK proposals on how to attain a solution, adding that relations with Britain were better than ever. The Gibraltar situation was anachronistic, he said. (09.11.01) Gibraltar students in the UK are to support the pro-Gibraltar demonstration in London on 17 November. It follows statements made by Foreign Office minister Peter Hain and other events, which many consider to be a watering down of Britain's commitment to a British Gibraltar. The Gibraltar Students Association says it fully supports the demonstration being organised by the London Gibraltarian society. "We encourage all students and Gibraltarians living in the UK to make their way to London to participate in the demonstration. We feel it is important for all Gibraltarians to take part and show to the British Government that it is not ok for the future of Gibraltar to be decided without the full and equal participation of the people of Gibraltar," says a statement today. It adds: In this time of need it is important to unite and show that we are proud to be Gibraltarian. The association says it is currently in contact with the organisers with a view to getting as many people as possible to participate. "We would like to ask families with relatives studying or living in the UK to pass on details of the demonstration to their relatives," said Sarah Sheehan. They can be contacted on gsa@gibnynex.gi. (09.11.01) Gibraltar at Blair-Aznar talks this weekend Prime minister Tony Blair and his Spanish counterpart Jose Maria Aznar are having talks in London this weekend, with the Gibraltar question expected to loom large. As Sr Aznar flew to London today, the Spanish foreign minister Josep Piqué confirmed the ministerial meeting on 20 November between himself and the UK foreign secretary Jack Straw. "We will be talking about the future of Gibraltar, " he said. Sr Piqué thinks that there is 'political will' in the UK government to bring to an end this problem that has been a thorn in Anglo-Spanish relations. He agrees with Britain that a solution can be found in the timescale that has been intimated, that is, by the end of next year. He spoke of the talks going "in the right direction." (09.11.01)
Clouds gather over Rock, says BBC report
It is not unusual to see a cloud over the Rock of Gibraltar, says a report on the BBC. The warm air blowing across the Mediterranean, surprised by this sudden jagged mountain, tends to rise and deposit a wet mist on its top. Chief minister on Spanish TV next week The chief minister Peter Caruana will appear on Spanish television next week. On Wednesday he will be appearing in Telecinco's morning programme 'La Mirada Critica'. On his way back to Gibraltar from Madrid, he will record a guest appearance in Canal Sur's 'El Vagamundo', which is scheduled to be shown on 19 November. (09.11.01)
Hain engages in political ding-dong Her Majesty's Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Peter Hain, is engaging in a political ding-dong with the chief minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana. Mr Hain had his full say in the House of Commons debate on Wednesday, even refusing to give way and putting up with some heckling, which elicited a reply from the Gibraltar government, which is quite normal. But Mr Hain has now responded to Mr Caruana's response! Says Mr Hain: "I am surprised and disappointed that the Chief Minister of Gibraltar appears to consider that he is unable to attend the next meeting of the Brussels Process in Barcelona on 20 November. All of the conditions are in place to allow him to do so with confidence and dignity: a distinct and separate voice at the talks within the UK delegation; no predetermined outcome and a cast iron commitment to respect the terms of the preamble to the 1969 Constitution." He continues: "The reason we are determined to see the process through is to secure a better future for the people of Gibraltar. As I have made clear many times, both we and the Spanish Government want the people of Gibraltar to take up their right to a direct voice in the process - a process from which Gibraltar has everything to gain. I repeat that the door remains open; and that the Chief Minister has nothing to fear from attending the 20 November or the subsequent meetings which are planned in a process which will continue." The Gibraltar government tonight rejected Mr Hain's response to last night's Gibraltar government response. "The inescapable reality and fact, which Mr Hain appears to ignore and obfuscate, is that the Foreign and Commonwealh Office has refused to accede to the Gibraltar Government's long standing and well known requirements for participation in talks, which includes the assurance that nothing will be agreed above the Gibraltar Government's head on any issue affecting Gibraltar," said a statement from the chief minister's office. It adds that Mr Hain's statement that all conditions are in place to allow the chief minister to attend "is therefore completely unsustainable and inappropriate. Responsibility for the chief minister's absence from talks therefore rests exclusively with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office." Indeed, says the statement, the language in Mr Hain's response itself demonstrates that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has simply failed to address Gibraltar's position and that it has therefore made no realistic and credible attempt to procure the Gibraltar Government's participation by accommodating its long-standing terms, "which Mr Hain has previously described as reasonable." The Gibraltar government statement ends: "It would be better if the Foreign Office simply said that Gibraltar's terms were unacceptable rather than try to make people believe that they have been met, when that is not the case." Meanwhile, Gibraltar ministers will meet on Friday for the second time this week for the purpose of deciding on a course of action following recent events. A full statement is expected next week.(08.11.01) Opposition holds emergency meeting: Calls for immediate meeting of Constitution committee The seven Elected Members of the Opposition will be meeting this afternoon to finalise the strategy that they believe Gibraltar has to adopt in order to counteract the Hain threat. In addition, the Opposition believes there should be an immediate meeting of the House of Assembly Select Committee where they will table this strategy. Meetings of the Committee are normally called by the Chief Minister who is the Chairman. " Given the situation created by the Hain statements we are asking him to convene a meeting immediately," said an Opposition statement. The Opposition totally condemn and wholeheartedly reject the statement made yesterday by Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain. It is shameful that the person who is supposed to be looking after Gibraltar's interests in the British Government should adopt postures which are anti-Gibraltarian and pro-Spanish. Mr Hain's assertion that Gibraltarians have nothing to fear from the Brussels process is absurd when in the same breath he says that our destiny is going to be discussed in that process within the next twelve months. People remember only too well that every time Gibraltar has attended talks with Spain under the Brussels agreement it has led to negative results for Gibraltar. Indeed, at the very first round of talks in Geneva in 1985, Spanish Foreign Minister Fernando Moran tabled proposals for joint sovereignty leading to full Spanish sovereignty. This was soon followed by the liability to pay the Spanish pensions, which Britain wanted Gibraltar to pay, and the airport agreement in 1987. The lesson of history is the very opposite of what Mr Hain has said; that Gibraltar has every reason to be fearful of the outcome of such talks. It is an absolute disgrace that Mr Hain should compare Gibraltarians living on their homeland with British expatriates retiring to the Costa del Sol. It further shows the level of ignorance of Mr Hain that he thinks he is going further than the preamble by giving a pledge that he will not remove our nationality against our wishes. British citizenship under the British Nationality Act cannot be removed from anybody other than for treason against the Crown. Furthermore, his generous offer was made as long ago as the 1960s by General Franco's Government when the Castiella proposals made clear that the Gibraltarians could retain British citizenship in a Spanish Gibraltar effectively making us like British expats in Spain. To suggest that a guarantee on being a able to retain our British citizenship takes us further than the preamble is to imply that the future of the territory can be divorced from the citizenship of its people. The Opposition maintain that the people of Gibraltar and the territory of Gibraltar are inseparable, and that the key issue is that the Gibraltarians must be the only ones to decide our own future and that of our country through the principle of self-determination. The Opposition believes that Peter Hain's veiled threat that Gibraltar will get left behind if we do not go along with existing plans is deplorable. It is an insult to every Gibraltarian to have a British Minister declare that either we bow down and give in to his position or we will have to suffer the consequences. Mr Hain would do well to remember that if there is one thing Gibraltar has learnt from nearly 300 years of British rule it is not to allow ourselves to be bullied and cajoled in such a deplorable manner by successive Spanish Governments and we are not going to tolerate it from the British Government either. We are very clear on what we want and on what we do not want, we are also very clear on is good for us and what is not good for us. The Opposition consider Peter Hain is the weakest and the
most anti-Gibraltarian Minister of State that Gibraltar has ever
known. No British Government has ever told Gibraltar before that the
status quo is unsustainable, and no British Government has ever told
Gibraltar before that within a year they are going to do a
sovereignty deal with Spain. This undermines the spirit of the
preamble to the 1969 Constitution and makes a A further statement will also be issued in which the implications of the Hain comments in the context of what the Brussels Agreement stands for will be analysed, said the Opposition. (08.11.01) Questions about Gibraltar in House of Commons Written Answers to Questions The London Gibraltarian Society (LGS) will hold a demonstration in London to protest against the next round of Brussels talks scheduled for Barcelona on the 20th November. The Society is also planning a Gibraltar Day of Action to coincide with the talks. The demonstration, and subsequent day of action, will provide an opportunity for Gibraltarians and Gibraltarian sympathisers living in the United Kingdom to protest against the talks. The message of the protest is that it is unacceptable for aspects of Gibraltar's future to be discussed without the full and independent Gibraltarian representation. The LGS urge all who can make the journey to London to do so. The demonstration will take place on SATURDAY 17th NOVEMBER outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Whitehall in London. The protest will begin at 2pm and continue until 5:30pm. A letter of representation will be handed in. After the protest demonstrators will be invited to attend a London Gibraltarian Society social gathering, as from 6.30 pm at a venue to be announced. The LGS day of action will take place on Tuesday 20th November. People are urged on that day to contact by email, letter, fax or phone any of the following:
Suggested formats for emails/letters will be available from the LGS website, details of which will be publicised shortly. The LGS encourage as many people as possible to participate. To ensure that the campaign has maximum effect the LGS recommend that all correspondence be signed with a name and address, that persons send no more than one type of communication to each person/office, and that all communication is concise and polite.(08.11.01) ILF sees parallels with Falklands 1980s The Independent Liberal Forum says it has responded strongly to Peter Hain's speech on Gibraltar in Parliament today. Party Leader Lyana Armstrong-Emery said :" Mr.Hain has tried again (and failed again) to reassure Gibraltarians that there is no kind of hidden agenda, secret deal or 'sell out'involved in his enthusiasm for this month's Brussels process talks and our attendance at them. Our British status, he says, is totally safe and no Gibraltarian will be forced to give up his or her British status. Big Deal ! What about our homeland, our actual territory ? Is he really suggesting that we would be happy to be like the British Expats in Spain ? And what about this nonsense about Gibraltar becoming the 'financial hub' for Andalucia?" The I.L.F. Leader continued by reminding readers that much will depend on the specifics 'on the table' at this month's Brussels Talks. In addition, she reiterated the willingness of her and her party to help initiate a massive campaign to mobilise support for Gibraltar among the people and sympathetic politicians in Britain. "We have many friends there" she concluded. "The I.L.F. is well prepared to work with others from Gibraltar in a wholesale campaign to alert the British people to the realities of our situation. Messrs. Hain and Blair may have no interest in really supporting Gibraltarians but I know the British people. She added: After all, I'm half-English myself. They were prepared to back to the hilt the Falkland Islanders twenty years ago. There's no armed force associated with our situation, of course, but there are other clear parallels with the Falklands. The U.K. people supported the Falklanders then. Surely they will do no less for us in our situation. But we must get them moving. The time is NOW. CRISIS: Political differences between London and Gibraltar widen. NO to talks. In a major development on Wednesday night, the Gibraltar Government made the surprising statement that a programmed visit by the Director for Europe at the Foreign Office, John MacGregor, has not materialised. "The cancellation of the meeting has been unilaterally decided by Mr Hain, apparently on the basis that the gap between the parties at this time is too large to bridge in time to enable the Gibraltar government's participation at talks on the 20th of this month," said a statement tonight from the chief minister's office. Foreign Office minister Peter Hain last night telephoned Mr Caruana, the chief minister, apparently to say that the UK would not be meeting Mr Caruana's terms for participation at talks with Spain. In such circumstances, the Gibraltar government says it will not be attending. Mr Hain told the House of Commons today that Britain has "worked hard to enable the Gibraltar government to join the meetings under the Brussels process." But the Gibraltar government says that "this alleged hard work has not been evident to the Gibraltar government because, in fact, very little effort has been made by Her Majesty's Government to properly and effectively meet the Government of Gibraltar's long standing and well known requirements for participation." The Government says that it is "astonished" at Mr Hain's statement that there is no reason why the Gibraltar government cannot attend. This ignores everything that the government has said to him, said the statement. "It would seem to be no less than an attempt to make the House of Commons believe that the Gibraltar government is being unreasonable in not attending the talks. The government will take appropriate steps to ensure that MPs know the true position, said the government tonight. (07.11.01)
Hain's statement: Government to take action The Gibraltar government has reacted angrily to statements made in the House of Commons today by Foreign Office minister Peter Hain. In a statement tonight (Wednesday) it expressed "great concern and disappointment." The government here has also announced that it is to hold a series of meetings to decide upon an appropriate course of action in the light of Mr Hain's statement. (Mr Hain's statement is published in full in PANORAMA, SEE APPROPRIATE STORY HEREUNDER). Mr Hain appears to believe that the fact that "we are only 30,000 people and Spain is now a democracy and a British ally and that the British people like to holiday or live in Spain, are somehow relevant to our future status and rights as a people. The government rejects this view." Mr Hain claims that he detects a genuine change in approach to Gibraltar by Madrid. "The only change in approach to Gibraltar by Madrid that would enable the problem to be resolved is Spain's acceptance of our right to decide our own future and that she cannot have any share of the sovereignty of any part of Gibraltar contrary to the wishes of the people of Gibraltar. There is no evidence that Spain is ready to accept that," said the government. The remark by Mr Hain that no Gibraltarian will be forced to give up their British citizenship "is extraordinary", says the government. The issue is not one of loss of citizenship but of sovereignty of the land and political rights of the people, which are indivisible from each other, says the government. Mr Hain's approach appears to reflect Sr Matutes' approach, namely that Gibraltar had better accept a sovereignty deal because the alternative is pain. This is unworthy and threatening choice to place before the people of Gibraltar and the Government condemns and rejects that approach. Mr Hain says that those who do not share his view are doing the people of Gibraltar a grave disservice. The people of Gibraltar well know what constitutes a grave disservice to them, says the government, which adds that it will now hold a series of meetings to decide on what action to take. (07.11.01) UK prepared to surrender sovereignty, says Opposition
It is clear that since Gibraltar started boycotting the Brussels talks in 1988, the Spaniards have not been able to advance one inch, and that now they are extremely confident that they are going to make substantial progress over the next twelve months. No doubt that confidence will be reinforced by the secret talks commencing this Friday between Prime Ministers Aznar and Blair, says the Opposition.(07.11.01) Do what I say, says Foreign Office minister, or else... Foreign Office minister Peter Hain has warned that Gibraltar either does what he wants, or it will be left behind. He was speaking in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons today. Mr Hain said: We see a new opportunity for three wins: a win for Gibraltar, a win for Britain and a win for Spain. If any of us lack the courage to grasp this opportunity - if any of us retreat through lack of political will or absence of vision - then we will all be losers. But the main losers will be the people of Gibraltar. He said that Gibraltarians have nothing to fear from the Brussels process. He made a pledge which many in Gibraltar have seen as insulting - that "we will never ask any Gibraltarian to sacrifice their British citizenship unless they freely choose to do so. "For as long as Gibraltarians want to remain British citizens, they shall," he said. Political observers in Gibraltar were saying that what Gibraltar wants is to remain British and what they fear is that the present UK governments wants to make the place Spanish. It would be extraordinary if anyone could take away their British citizenship. It was a time for choices. Choices for the British government: do we try our best to reach a new deal for Gibraltar or do we duck that? Does Spain have the courage to take hard cessions? Does Gibraltar have the vision to do a new deal? He did not say what that deal would be, but added that the status quo was unsustainable. (07.11.01) Chief minister under intense UK pressure to attend talks The chief minister Peter Caruana is under intense pressure from the UK government to attend the talks on 20 November with Spain under the controversial Brussels process. Mr Caruana was telephoned last night by the Foreign Office minister Peter Hain, while a senior Foreign Office official John MacGregor is in Gibraltar trying to work out a formula that would allow Mr Caruana to attend. The chief minister says he will not attend bilateral talks between London and Madrid, urging that they be structured to take account of a separate Gibraltar voice. He also wants a veto on all matters agreed, that is to say, that if Gibraltar does not agree there cannot be agreement. The Opposition are steadfastly opposed for Gibraltar to be present at talks under the Brussels process which they see as leading to Spanish sovereignty over Gibraltar. While Mr Bossano was chief minister for 8 years, the talks were in the doldrums and nothing was agreed. (07.11.01) In a reaction to the speech today by Foreign Office minister Peter Hain, he Labour Group says it believes that the writing is on the wall. It is patently obvious from Mr Hain's speech that the UK and Spain intend to push ahead with negotiations under the Brussels' Process whether Gibraltar attends or not. "We believe that what is likely to happen is that the UK and Spain will negotiate a deal either on the airport or in relation to our overall constitutional position. That agreement will then be put to the people of Gibraltar and if rejected, would probably mean, as Mr Hain implies that we will be left behind with our rights slowly but surely being eroded," says spokesman Daniel Feetham. He adds: We cannot just simply reject attendance at Brussels talks and not provide an alternative ourselves. The Select Committee must now meet as a matter of urgency and come up with proposals for Constitutional Reform before events overtake
us .(07.11.01) Linares v Linares: School hours change "in total shambles" The Opposition says it
considers that the information given by Education Minister Bernard
Linares in the House of Assembly confirms that the change of school
hours is an even greater shambles than anyone could have possibly
imagined. We feel betrayed by Britain, says chief minister The chief minister Peter Caruana told Spanish radio listeners this evening that Gibraltar feels betrayed by the UK government. Although this did not extend to the question of sovereignty, he cited such issues as the European Union, the frontier and telephones. He was being asked if the UK would not start abandoning the commitment on sovereignty and shock him at the last minute. He did not think so. Mr Caruana said there was not the remotest possibility that Gibraltar would accept joint sovereignty with Spain. Sovereignty cannot be shared, he said, using footballing terms to the effect that you cannot belong to the Real Madrid and also to Barcelona. He was being questioned in a Spanish radio interview in Algeciras by a number of Spanish journalists. While his government would welcome commercial initiatives over the airport for the benefit of both communities, there was no question of sharing its sovereignty, property or control. He said that the isthmus on which the airport is built, and which Madrid claims separately, was an integral part of Gibraltar. You cannot base today's politics on a map of 300 years ago, he added. The questioning centered largely on questions of sovereignty and about his attendance or not to the 'bilateral' talks between Britain and Spain on 20 November. He took umbrage to the use of the term 'bilateral' and said Gibraltar would only attend with its own voice. SENIOR FCO OFFICIAL ON GIB VISIT In fact, a senior Foreign Office official named MacGregor would be flying out to Gibraltar tomorrow to discuss further Mr Caruana's participation at the talks. In Algeciras
tonight, Mr Caruana spoke of the desire to have him at talks to
legitimise the process. UK officials bludgeoning Gibraltar to give up its British links, says MEP Under the heading 'Gibraltar must decide its future',
Lord Bethell writes this letter in The Times today: The two Governments have decided to continue the talks held in Brussels last year. To the Gibraltarians the ideas aired then mean a gentler Spanish policy, ending delays at the frontier, allowing more telephone lines, lifting objections over flying and a host of other matters ranging from dog shows to football competitions and the dumping of refuse. Unlikely Gibraltar will attend talks, say Spaniards With the Gibraltar chief minister saying that he will only attend Anglo-Spanish talks on Gibraltar if his conditions are met, diplomatic sources in Madrid are saying that it looks unlikely that he will be able to do so. The next round of the relaunched talks under the controversial Brussels Agreement take place in Barcelona on 20 November. Mr Caruana says Britain must accept his terms for attending before this week is out, otherwise he will not attend. He wants a veto on anything agreed at the talks in order to safeguard the Gibraltar position. The opposition is urging him not to attend, given the experiences of the past - as attendance by Gibraltar allows the UK to sell any deal in Britain on the grounds that Gibraltar was here. In the Gibraltar parliament today, Mr Caruana said in answer to questions that he was not consulted about the relaunch of the Brussels process. He was simply told that Britain and Spain had agreed to do so by a Foreign Office official who telephoned him ten days before the talks resumed on 26 July last. The Spanish foreign minister Josep Piqué has been saying that Mr Caruana can attend as part of the UK delegation, but that he cannot be given the right to veto any agreement between two sovereign states. In Madrid today, Spanish diplomatic sources were saying that it seems highly unlikely that there will be Gibraltarian representation at the 20 November talks. (06.11.01) Arab enters Gibraltar illegally with Gib Regt When the Royal Gibraltar Regiment went to Morocco recently for training, they came back with an illegal immigrant, PANORAMA reveals.
Questioned by us, a spokesman at Headquarters British Forces said: "We can confirm that a stowaway was found, hidden in the back of a Royal Gibraltar Regiment on their return from an exercise in Morocco. The stowaway transferred from another vehicle to the Service vehicle whilst on the vehicle deck of the ferry and whilst the ferry was as underway. At this point no passengers are allowed on the vehicle deck of the ferry for safety reasons. The stowaway was discovered as the vehicle entered Devil's Tower Camp in the early hours of 11 October 2001 and was promptly handed to the Royal Gibraltar Police." (06.11.01) Ceuta and Melilla are different, says Spanish defence minister The Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, on the North African coast, cannot be compared with Gibraltar, said the Spanish defence minister Federico Trillo. He said that the two cities have always been Spanish, so there has never been a possibility of integrating them with other countries. Both enclaves are claimed by Morocco. The Spanish government has never considered any ideas that could question the Spanish sovereign status of the territories, while at the same time expressing satisfaction that at long last the decolonisation of Gibraltar had started. In relation to the deterioration of relations between Spain and Morocco, the Spanish minister said that he did not think that developments had anything to do with Ceuta and Melilla. (06.11.01) Government accused of mismanagement of human rights issue
UN human rights committee puts Gibraltar's self-determination in abeyance The United Nations human rights committee has decided not to proceed with making a pronouncement on Gibraltar's right to self-determination. Last month, the UK lodged a document with the UN committee which stated that self-determination applies to all its dependent territories, qualifying Gibraltar's position in ambiguous terms. A draft resolution was prepared to this effect by the US representative Louis Henkin and backed by the Australian and Germans representatives on the 18-strong committee. However, when the draft resolution came up for debate, the view that gained weight was that self-determination would be applicable to dependent territories not subject to territorial disputes. The UK proposal has been left in abeyance. The committee expressed deep concern that the protection of the UN covenant on civil and political rights in the overseas territories was weaker and more irregular than in the UK itself. It also regretted that the Human Rights Act of 1998 did not apply to these territories and that Covenant rights were not incorporated into the legislation to remedy this absence, as well as to provide human-rights training for public officials. He specifically said that “the Gibraltar Government has been asked to submit proposals for updating its Constitution, provided that they respect human-rights standards, and select committees have been established to that end by the Gibraltar legislation.” Answering questions, Mr Steel said that there was no discrimination against Spaniards in Gibraltar - there was no discrimination against anyone. He said: A territory that decided against seeking independence could change its mind later; the UK would remain open to such proposals. The UN Civil and Political Rights Covenant states that “all people have the right of self-determination.” Speaker criticised for restricting Opposition questions The Opposition tabled 465 questions in January and 358 questions in April this year. On this occasion, after an interval of 7 months, 431 questions have been tabled for the Meeting of the House which opened this morning. There has been no opportunity for the Opposition to question the Government since April. At the commencement of today's session, the Speaker, Judge Alcantara, declared that because he considered 431 to be too many questions, he was implementing a Standing Order which he claims exists, but has never been applied, which limits supplementary questions to two, in respect of each Opposition Member, with the Leader of the Opposition having a third supplementary. The Speaker when asked by the Opposition, refused to say which Standing Order he was quoting. In a statement today, the Opposition adds: This places a severe constraint on the rights of the Opposition to seek information and explanations in the House of Assembly. No previous Opposition has faced such a ban on seeking information in the House from the Government. Most of the questions do not require supplementaries, because they seek satistical information to enable the Opposition to monitor the performance of the economy and generally of other areas of Government activity. There are always a small number of questions which give rise to a large number of supplementaries, because they raise important political issues. On this occasion, questions on the re-launch of the Brussels process talks, are likely to fall into this category. There is nothing in Standing Orders to say what is the maximum number of questions, the Opposition adds. Nor is it the role of the Speaker to argue that because he considers 431 questions to be too many, he will limit the capacity of the Opposition to seek information because "we have to get on". Although 431 questions could give rise to 1,293 supplementaries, on the Speaker's ruling, in fact, the lack of a necessity for supplementaries in some questions, does not allow the quota to be used for other questions, therefore, making a nonsense of the Speaker's excuse of the "need to get on". The Opposition go on to say that the Speaker gets paid sufficiently for the number of days a year he has to preside over the House, and allowing supplementaries, as has been the practice since 1969 on the three times a year when questions are tabled, might add a few more hours to the proceedings. If the Speaker feels that this is too much of an extra burden on his time, then he should give way to somebody else. The Opposition takes "a very serious view of these developments which will
further restrict our ability to hold the Government to account in our
parliament." Chief Minister and Deputy beg to differ... The Chief Minister and his Deputy appear to beg to differ about the so-called denial by the Foreign Office of the report in The Guardian. While Mr Caruana was on holiday last week, Mr Azopardi issued a Government press release which took note that The Guardian report extensively quoted a British official. “The Government considers that the bland denial delivered by the Foreign Office representative is clearly insufficient,” said Mr Azopardi. “The Government will be taking this matter up with the United Kingdom Government directly with the request that they take steps to trace the source of, and more forcefully deny, what has clearly been protrayed in The Guardian as a direct briefing of the newspaper by a Foreign Office official.” Indeed, the report had all the hallmarks of a briefing as PANORAMA noted last week. Who else but a senior Foreign Office official would have known that the talks are to be held in Barcelona and not Madrid? When Mr Caruana returned from holiday, he said that talk of secret deals “has been denied by the Foreign Office.” The Gibraltar Government was no longer demanding a more forceful denial, or that the source of the report be traced. How does PANORAMA get its
exclusive reports? The British and Spanish foreign ministries are intrigued at how PANORAMA gets hold of exclusive stories which are confidential and preferably not for publication. Their obsession is such that they have been making enquiries! Whenever an exclusive report appears in PANORAMA they ask each other if it was them who let the cat out of the bag. Not me, says the Foreign Office. Yo tampoco, says the Spanish foreign ministry. It so happens that London and Madrid have agreed on a pact of silence over their deliberations. They feel that by being discreet about their secret discussions they can best achieve what they call “progress”. As the intrigue continues about PANORAMA, we advise the ladies and gentlemen of the foreign brigade that lessons on journalism are available... Foreign Office confirms reports, says Madrid daily The British Foreign Office has confirmed reports concerning the existence of secret talks between Spain and the United Kingdom directed at sharing sovereignty over Gibraltar in the near future, says an editorial in the Spanish daily ABC. London would be prepared to adopt a similar model on the Rock to the one used for the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong. The end result of the process would be Spain's absolute and exclusive sovereignty over the colony. The Spanish government has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of a pact, and has limited comments to repeating that relations with Great Britain are harmonious and that Spain's unalterable goal is to recover full and exclusive sovereignty over the Rock, says the paper. According to British sources, the first bilateral meeting would take place on 20 November, and shared sovereignty could come about at the end of 2002. The likelihood of the Spanish flag flying over Gibraltar in a matter of months is much more than utopian fancifulness and much less of a remote possibility. It adds: It is understandable that the Spanish government is being wisely cautious. Negotiations of this kind require discretion and even secrecy. From the point of view of the principles of law and history, however, there is no room for debate in the dispute. The means and the timing may vary, but the final outcome can only be that of Spain regaining sovereignty and in the shortest time possible. The will of the citizens of a colonising country cannot stand as a reason for impeding decolonisation, and on the other, because Gibraltarians' rights are just as guaranteed under Spanish sovereignty. All the more so when we can now speak of common European citizenship, above and beyond national differences. The rights recognized by the Spanish constitution and the guarantees of those rights are at least as wide-ranging as those recognized by British legislation. Justice cannot be swayed by the result of any eventual referendum among the inhabitants of the colony, says the Spanish paper. (04.11.01) Shares surrender for Gib holding company Gemplus International SA said its chief executive officer Antonio Perez has agreed to surrender all the shares in the company he was given when he joined it, to pay for six loans he received to made to exercise certain stock options and pay related taxes, reports AFX from Luxembourg. It said Perez already returned 18.6 mln Gemplus shares valued at a price of 2.79 eur per share to Gemplus' indirect unit Zenzus Holdings (Gibraltar), to pay for interest and principal on four of the loans, and continues to hold 12 mln shares. These will also be returned to pay for the two remaining loans as soon as their aggregate value covers the oustanding loan amount, the company added. (04.11.01) Gibraltar will not take part in talks if conditions are not met next week, says chief minister If the Chief Minister Peter Caruana is to attend the Anglo-Spanish talks on Gibraltar, his government's conditions must be met not later than the end of next week. He does not want a last-minute decision, and would like an answer by 7th November or 10th November at the latest. The government says it wants a separate voice at any talks, whether as part of the Brussels process or otherwise, and that nothing can be agreed unless the Gibraltar government itself agrees with it. Essentially, Mr Caruana wants a veto on anything discussed so as to make the talks 'safe for Gibraltar'. With so much talk of secret deals and other reports this week, Mr Caruana wants participation in a process where there can be no secret or other deals, unless he agrees. In a television interview tonight he repeated his well-known views that his government is not willing to renounce Gibraltar's right to self-determination. He says he is against any process which envisages a transfer of sovereignty to Spain, whether gradual or otherwise. He says he is also against any linkage between cooperation and parallel progress on matters of sovereignty, which is what Spain has been demanding. The Spanish foreign minister Josep Piqué said this week that self-determination is out for Gibraltar and that Mr Caruana can attend talks as part of the UK delegation, but that he cannot have a veto of what is agreed between two sovereign states. The relaunch of the Brussels process, under which London and Madrid declare their wish of removing all their differences over the Rock, took place last July and are due to continue in Barcelona on 20th November. Spain's policy is to secure a full transfer of Gibraltar's sovereignty, even if it takes place in stages.(02.11.01) EU to rule against Gibraltar's finance centre Reports that the EU is about to rule against Gibraltar's finance centre have been circulating in the last 24 hours. There was a report about it in the Offshore Business Magazine. This is followed by an article in The Times today which says that an investigation by the EU competition commissioner is expected to declare that Gibraltar acted unlawfully in not notifying the Commission of tax concessions it offered offshore finance companies. The effect of this ruling will be to force Gibraltar "to rewrite its tax code" which would threaten it" with bankruptcy with liability running into billions of pounds," says the report. It adds: Such a ruling could destroy the Rock's attempts to set itself up as an offshore financial centre and land Britain, ultimately responsible, with a vast fine in back payments. The move would threaten thousands of jobs in Gibraltar, which was encouraged by Britain to develop its offshore financial industry after the closure of the British naval base. The Gibraltar
government has been challenging in court the EU move, arguing that
it would suffer irreparable damage if Brussels orders an immediate
withdrawal of the companies operating in Gibraltar as well as
ordering huge financial penalties, which would have to be paid
within two months. Finance centre threat unconnected to Brussels process, says Opposition The Opposition considers that the article in today's issue of "The Times"
headed "EU to end Gibraltar's tax haven status" has all the hallmarks of
the continuing campaign to convince the Gibraltarians that we would be
better off under a change of sovereignty. The job of the Opposition is to
continue to expose what is being done in order to ensure that public
opinion in Gibraltar is not duped. The EU Commission's State Aid rules apply
throughout the European Union, and its decision to investigate Gibraltar
was announced at the same time as investigations into a total of eleven
corporate tax schemes in eight member states. It is absurd to insinuate
that if Gibraltar does what Britain and Spain wants then we can break the
rules and nothing will be done. The implications of such an argument is
that even the European Courts cannot be trusted to uphold the rule of law
and are mere pawns manipulated by London and Madrid.(02.11.01) Britain wants Spain to urge Gibraltar to accept Spanish sovereignty The British government is to ask Spain to urge Gibraltar to accept Spanish sovereignty, say reports. A Spanish newsagency report quotes a British report which, according to them, makes this observation. The plan would be for the Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar to seek to convince chief minister Peter Caruana of the advantages of a change in sovereignty. British foreign office officials are working on a wide autonomy for Gibraltar, with a special status for Gibraltar and a military base for Britain. Spanish reports say that Britain would be prepared to give up part of Gibraltar's sovereignty, said another Spanish newsagency quoting British officials. The matter is to be discussed by prime minister Tony Blair and his Spanish counterpart when they meet on 9 and 10 of this month at Chequers.(02.11.01)
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