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Government attacks Opposition to defend Cordoba agreements
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FULL TEXT of Press release issued by the Gibraltar Government:
"The Gibraltar Government is grateful to the UK and Spanish Government for agreeing to issue yesterday?s joint statements clarifying Sr Moratino?s statements in the recent Area interview. The joint statement fully vindicates the Gibraltar Government?s position that what has been agreed in Cordoba is what the Chief Minister has explained publicly and repeatedly to the people of Gibraltar.
Some Opposition political parties rushed prematurely through what they thought was a breach in the Government?s political dam. They chose to ignore the Gibraltar
Government?s statement that the Area interview comments did not accurately reflect the Cordoba Agreements, and that the Government would deal with this effectively and sensibly by seeking clarification.
Instead, they preferred opportunistically to accuse the Government that what Sr Moratinos had said proved that the Cordoba Agreements strengthened Spain?s position on sovereignty and Utrecht, that the Government had made concessions to Spain about sovereignty jurisdiction and control of the Airport, that Spain was in control of customs and immigration at Gibraltar Airport, and that the Chief Minister had therefore misled the people of Gibraltar.
The Government wonders whether the Opposition will now have the political courage and sincerity and respect for the people of Gibraltar to retract their accusations against the Government now that the three participants, including the Spanish Foreign Ministry have re-confirmed that under the Cordoba agreement.:
? Spanish officials will not control entry to and exit from Gibraltar that this is a matter
exclusively for the Gibraltar authorities and that the position in this respect is as stated
by the Chief Minister on Monday;
? that the Cordoba Agreement has no implication for sovereignty jurisdiction or control of
Gibraltar airport;
? That no participant has made or benefited from any sovereignty concession;
? that the agreements have no implications for anyone?s position on the Treaty of
Utrecht.
? That under the agreement no Spanish authority will participate in the management of
the terminal.
? That the Cordoba Statement does not provide for Spanish officials to control entry and
exit from Schengen in respect of flights between Gibraltar Airport and any other
Schengen country except Spain.
? That implementation of EU measures is as set out in the agreement and previously explained publicly.
Given the Spanish Foreign Ministry?s statements to the above effect in the joint press release, the Government would remind Mr Bossano that as recently as last Thursday he said that Spain was the best placed party to judge what concessions Spain felt it had obtained. Since he believed that when making his allegations, he presumably also believes that now in relation to the Spanish Foreign Ministry?s joint statements."
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