Spain, July 21: Spain’s foreign minister will travel to the disputed British colony of Gibraltar on Tuesday, the first visit by a Spanish Cabinet minister since the Rock was ceded almost 300 years ago.
Miguel Angel Moratinos will meet British counterpart David Miliband and Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana for talks on fishing, environmental issues and ways to combat crime on the Rock, which is located on Spain’s southern tip.
Spain ceded sovereignty of Gibraltar to Britain in a 1713 treaty, but has persistently sought its return, claiming the territory as a natural and historic part of its geography.
Tuesday’s meeting was part of an agreement in recent years to discuss issues concerning the colony while sidestepping the question of sovereignty.
The trip has been criticized by the main opposition Popular Party as a “terrible mistake.” The conservative party said a visit by a foreign minister was tantamount to recognizing Gibraltar as a sovereign territory.
“The issue of sovereignty is not at stake,” said Leire Pajin, spokeswoman for the governing Socialist party. She said the trip was to help improve life for Spaniards who live near and work in Gibraltar.
Spanish officials have visited Gibraltar before but Moratinos is the first minister to do so.
The Rock is a quirky, multicultural British outpost of 30,000 people, most of whom speak perfect Spanish and even own property along Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast. An estimated 12,00 people cross over from Spain daily to work and many more to visit.
Disputes over issues such as customs and border matters and differences over fishing rights, Gibraltar’s offshore banking practices and smuggling have long embittered relations.
History professor Carlos Martinez Shaw said the visit was in line with Spanish government policy in recent decades.
“Every foreign minister has felt the necessity to contribute to the solution of a problem that has always marred relations with Britain,” Martinez Shaw told Spanish National Radio.
He said the issue of Gibraltar was still a heartfelt cause for many Spaniards today.
Moratinos will spend about five hours on Gibraltar. After the meeting with Miliband and Caruana, Moratinos will hold talks with Miliband in Jerez, Spain.
The Rock is in the Strait of Gibraltar, for centuries a strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
–Agencies