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Spanish Police/Guardia Civil to control Gib flights to European countries - Spanish Foreign Minister reveals
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Spanish Police and the Guardia Civil will control immigration and customs on flights to and from European countries who are part of Schengen, the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has disclosed.
This is a surprise move as this issue was not agreed in the Tripartite negotiations and was left in abeyance. Judging by what Sr Moratinos has said, it would appear this sensitive political matter has now been resolved and will also favour Spain.
It had been put to Sr Moratinos in the Campo paper 'Area' that the negotiations over police control had been difficult '
He replied: It has been difficult, but very fruitful because definitely it is the Spanish Police that will be in charge of the question of immigration and customs.
He added: There will not be controls in flights on (Spanish) national territory of passengers flying to national territory, and very soon, even in those flights whose origin or destination is Schengen.
"That is, that we are in a very good position," he said.
IN SPANISH
This is the question and answer as it happened, in Spanish:
Pregunta: La negociacion ha sido dificil sobre los controles policiales,
Respuesta: Ha sido dificil, pero muy fructifera porque, en definitiva, es Ia policia espa?ola la que va . encargarse de la cuestion de inmigraci?n y aduanas, Ni habra control en los vuelos en territorio nacional de pasajeros que vuelen .a territorio nacional y, en muy breve tiempo, incluso, en lo. que tengan origen o destino Schengen, Seran controladoi por la Policia y la Guardua Civil espa?olas, O sea, que estamos en una posicioin muy buena."
ISTHMUS
Sr Moratinos also said that the new airport agreement is similar to that of 1987 and it is established with the same safeguard clause over the isthmus, -which is what most concerned us - word by word, coma by coma.
He adds that "the Spanish position has been reinforced, because in the new deal Spain will be involved in management, which was not the case in the 1987 agreement. Thus, we come out reinforced and protected in the aspect of sovereignty."
SOVEREIGNTY
In another question, asked why he thought that Spain has come out strengthened on the question of sovereignty, he says: Because for the first time, with the presence of the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Utrecht is reinforced, a position that the Spanish Government defends and supports. We all recognise the validity of Utrecht.
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