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Nothing can spoil it
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It is no secret that we have had very difficult negotiations, says Europe minister Geoff Hoon.
The interests of Gibraltar, Spain and the UK had to be considered. "Having to find a solution, and above all, the right words and the correct language, is not easy," he said.
But he thinks nothing can now spoil the deal, because of the good atmosphere prevailing. What is most important is to know that we now have a normal relationship, and that in the future, this relationship among the three, will be even easier.
He has nothing but praise for Spanish prime minister Zapatero who has allowed a change in atmosphere, allowing the kind of talks Hoon has been having with the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and the secretary of state Benardino Leon. "These have been talks among real friends," he says. He gets on with them, they are his friends, people he likes.
Hoon adds: After the crisis (with Spain) over the tercentenary, everyone in the UK, Spain and Gibraltar reached the conclusion that we ought to do things better.
TERCENTENARY MADE EVERYONE THINK...
Hoon had come to the tercentenary celebrations against the known displeasure of the Spanish government. I associate that period with the change in atmosphere with respect to Gibraltar, he adds. Everyone stopped to think that what was happening did not have any sense. I felt, with great intensity, that all that was out of proportion, having been, as I was, so involved.
The interview with Hoon was published in the Madrid daily El Mundo, but it has gone unnoticed, until PANORAMA has come across it.
Throughout the interview, says the Spanish reporter, Geoff Hoon did not lose an opportunity of insisting on how excellent were his relations with Spain and with everything Spanish. He recalls his days as an MEP and says he still enjoys friendship with his Spanish colleagues of the time._________
His love for Spain does not end there, says the paper. A flamenco show in Madrid was a most memorable moment. He also speaks of "the great privilege" of listening to guitarist Paco Pena, "a genius", and also Tony Blair's favourite guitarist.
SELF-DETERMINATION WAS NEAR CRISIS
Two days before Hoon was due to make his statement in Parliament about Gibraltar's self-determination, the temperature rose to such as extent that some felt that another Anglo-Spanish crisis was inevitable. But what solved the day was that Hoon referred to self-determination as applying only to Gibraltar's 'internal matters'.
He says: My parliamentary statement is very similar to a swan: it can appear very nice on the exterior, but underneath it hides enormous activity, a lot of movement. The words are important for all. It was crucial to use the adequate words and in the correct order. People in London, in Madrid and in Gibraltar have worked very hard to achieve it.
In recognising the self-determination of Gibraltar this month, it seems that all has changed so that it carries on being the same: the Rock carries on being a colony, the UK keeps its sovereignty over it, and if the Gibraltarians one day want to be independent, they would have to take Spain into account, said the report.
"What is really important is that we have buried the past," said Hoon.
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