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Spanish pensions at tripartite talks tomorrow
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by our Political correspondent
Tripartite talks on the Spanish pensions issue are due to take place in London this Thursday, said UK official sources.
The report, published in the Spanish media yesterday, was the first inkling that the talks were due. Subsequently, No. 6 Convent Place confirmed that the talks were taking place and that Gibraltar would be represented by chief secretary Ernest Montado and principal secretary for social and civic affairs Mario Gomila.
The meeting will be at a technical level, expected to be the last on this issue before the full ministerial meeting takes place before the year is out, when the question of the airport is also expected to be on the agenda.
The Spanish side have made no secret of the fact that they would like to find a solution to the two issues, to present to public opinion as an advance on Gibraltar.
The newsagency Europa Press quotes Spanish diplomatic sources as saying that Spain seeks a political agreement on the pensions by the governments of Spain, Britain and Gibraltar.
The general Gibraltar view on the pensions has long been that this has nothing to do with Gibraltar, and that it is a matter for Britain and Spain to resolve.
Involvement by Gibraltar could be seen as implicating the Rock in this issue.
SYMBOLIC GESTURE
There were reports in the summer that the Spanish government might make a gesture, however symbolic, in accepting some responsibility for the pensions problem, given that it was a Spanish government that withdrew the spanish labour force and in fact caused the problem.
The La Linea pensioners association Alpeg said recently that the responsibility was Britain's, but the Spanish government ought to make a financial contribution.
The job of the technical group is to determine certain issues including the exact number of pensioners involved and what could be the claimed sum, which has been estimated at around 30 million euros.
The pensions and the airport are the two principal questions that should emerge in the full ministerial talks, when the Spanish side would wish to announce what they describe as 'progress.' Lack of progress could urge the Sp[anish opposition to accuse Madrid of having got nowehere and made a fool of themselves.
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