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Britain calls tripartite meeting for Monday
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Unexpectedly, Britain has called a full technical meeting of the tripartite forum. It will take place on Monday in London, with representatives from Britain, Spain and Gibraltar attending.
Last week, No.6 Convent Place said in a Press release that 'on Monday (23rd June) the Chief Minister will be attending a preparatory meeting in London for the next round of trilateral talks.'
So, what was meant to be a 'preparatory meeting' has become a full technical meeting.
As is known, preparatory meetings take place between London and Gibraltar before trilateral talks. One such meeting took place in Gibraltar recently, and according to No.6, another was due on Monday. That is what the official Press release from No.6 said last week.
But yesterday, the Foreign Office issued a 6-line Press release saying that 'the next meeting of the Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar will take place in London on 23 June.'
It added: 'The meeting will discuss progress in the implementation of the Cordoba statements as well as the future agenda of the Forum. Peter Caruana, Gibraltar Chief Minister, Jose Pons, Director General for Europe and North American Political Affairs, and Anthony Smith, Director for European Political Affairs, will attend.'
To make matters more confusing, the Spanish are reminding that this meeting does not correspond to that announced during the Spanish general election campaign by the Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who had said that a second ministerial meeting of the Forum would be taking place before or immediately after the Spanish elections on 9 March.
The fact that Sr Moratinos has been made to swallow his words is being interpreted as meaning that agreement has not been reached on the full range of issues planned for the ministerial meeting.
The meeting taking place in London is seen as another attempt at drawing conclusions if ministers are to meet.
All the measures taken at the Cordoba meeting in September 2006 have not yet been implemented. "The implementation of these agreements will be reviewed at the forthcoming meeting," said the Foreign Office yesterday.
It added: Other issues on the agenda for discussion are cooperation on the environment, financial services and taxation, maritime, education, judicial and law enforcement cooperation and visa related issues.
The delay for the Cervantes Institute, whose opening has been announced more than once, is due to the lack of suitable buildings in Gibraltar, said Spanish government sources. The Spaniards say they want an 'emblematic' building for the Institute.
CREMATORIUM
Meanwhile, Mr Caruana had agreed to officially open the new Gibraltar Crematorium on Monday at 12.30pm, but he will not be returning until the next day...
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