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Gibraltar's London office is run as a High Commission
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by JOE GARCIA
The Gibraltar office in London is run as a High Commission, it has been officially recognised for the first time.
High Commissions for independent Commonwealth countries are the equivalent to embassies. And the Gibraltar office is a 'de facto High Commission', its director Albert Poggio told PANORAMA.
In its early days, the London office was painstakingly accepted by the Foreign Office but on the understanding that it would operate like a tourist office only. The Foreign Office was reticent that it could develop into anything else.
But in the early 1980s, as the frontier with Spain was reopened after the signing of the Brussels Agreement and Anglo-Spanish relations improved, a report was commissioned about giving the old office a new role.
The report concluded that there was a need to dramatically change the office image, recalls Mr Poggio.
It was to become a more representative office - and it was developed along the lines of a defacto High Commission.
It is now not only touristic, but political as well. MPs and others make use of the office to gather information about Gibraltar where political meetings take place.
The office takes part in campaigns about Gibraltar, including the major 2002 campaign against the joint sovereignty plan.
The office liaises with Government departments in Gibraltar, including that of the Chief Minister.
And Mr Poggio is often invited to attend functions which are normally the province of foreign dignitaries in London.
Some people even think he is a High Commissioner. Of course, he is not Gibraltar's High Commissioner. But he acts almost as one!
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