Gibraltar deal crazy, says Spanish opposition

Spain’s main opposition party reacted angrily today to the announcement that Gibraltarians have gained an equal voice with Britain and Spain in discussions on their future.

Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Popular Party, said it was wrong to place Gibraltar on an equal footing in negotiations.

“It’s crazy, a unilateral decision, a very grave error. We will ask the prime minister to explain this to us,” he said.

Britain has held Gibraltar since 1704, when a combined Anglo-Dutch fleet captured it from Spain. Spain ceded sovereignty to Britain in 1713 through the Treaty of Utrecht, but has persistently sought the return of the rocky promontory, located at Spain’s south-western tip.

Spanish and British foreign ministries announced jointly yesterday that a forum including Gibraltar, Spain and Britain would “create a constructive atmosphere of mutual confidence and cooperation for the benefit and prosperity of Gibraltar and the whole region.”

All parties would participate equally and would meet at least every 12 months.

Details of the forum were thrashed out by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos and Gibraltar’s chief minister Peter Caruana. It was the first time Gibraltar was officially represented at a meeting between Britain and Spain on the territory’s fate.

The forum supersedes a scheme for shared Spanish-British sovereignty over the territory that fell apart in November 2002 when Gibraltar’s 30,000 residents voted overwhelmingly against the idea in a nonbinding referendum.

Britain has consistently maintained that it would not make any changes to Gibraltar’s status without its residents’ consent.

The forum is expected to focus on practical issues of telecommunications and the operation of Gibraltar’s airport, rather than debate the region’s constitutional position.

Once a strategic naval outpost, Gibraltar is now a tourist resort with significant offshore banking and port facilities.