Nuclear sub row high on Gibraltar talks agenda

Three-way talks on the future of Gibraltar began today with Spanish annoyance over Britain’s use of the tiny colony for repairing nuclear submarines high on the agenda.

The first discussions under the new trilateral format were being held in the Costa del Sol city of Malaga between senior officials below the level of ministers, although Gibraltar was represented by its leader, Chief Minister Peter Caruana.

Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos gave a preview of what was on Spain’s mind at a speech before the Spanish parliament’s foreign affairs committee yesterday.

“The existence of a naval base within a territory obliged to a process of decolonisation by United Nations mandate is what provokes these problems and discomfort,” said Moratinos, referring to a resolution passed in 1960 by the UN General Assembly calling on countries to end colonisation.

“The United Kingdom has the primary obligation to put an end to this situation and the Spanish government has the right to press for it,” Moratinos added.

An easing of tensions had begun to occur between the three participants as a result of the setting up of three-way talks on equal terms in October.

That was until a damaged British nuclear attack submarine Sceptre arrived last week in Gibraltar needing repairs to a diesel generator.

This revived memories of a dispute over another nuclear submarine, the Tireless, that docked in Gibraltar for most of 2000 to repair the cooling system of its nuclear reactor.

Spain and Britain are EU friends and Nato allies but the 300 year-old sovereignty dispute over Gibraltar is a nagging sore spot in their relations.

Britain has held Gibraltar since 1704 when a combined Anglo-Dutch fleet captured it from Spain. Spain ceded sovereignty of Gibraltar to Britain in 1713, but has persistently sought its return.

Gibraltar’s 30,000 residents are firmly in favour of remaining British, and in a referendum in 2002 they voted against the idea of Britain and Spain sharing sovereignty over the Rock.

Taking part in today’s talks were Spain’s director-general for Europe and America, Jose Pons and Britain’s director of Europe, Dominick Chilcott, in addition to Caruana.