Sep 15 - Moratinos Advocates Dialogue As The Only Way To Resolve Disputes
The former Spanish Mister for Foreign Affairs Miguel Ángel Moratinos called for the next Spanish government to immediately return to the Cordoba Agreement and open dialogue between Gibraltar, Spain and United Kingdom.
Speaking to an audience of more than 300 delegates at the San Roque Club last night, Sr Moratinos insisted that the only way to resolve any problems between Spain and Gibraltar is through open dialogue and that the Tripartite Forum should be reinstated by the next Spanish government.
The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Mayor of San Roque Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix and the President of the Cádiz provincial government Irene Garcia were invited to speak at the event entitled ‘Dimensión estrategica y cooperación: Campo de Gibraltar y Gibraltar’ organised by the Mayor’s office in San Roque.
In his speech, Sr Moratinos insisted that his work carried out while his PSOE government were in power was left to the wayside by the current Partido Popular government.
With regards to the question of self-determination or freedom for the people of Gibraltar, Sr Moratinos said “independence will only be an option [for Gibraltar] with Spain’s consent”.
Speaking to Your Gibraltar TV after the event, Mr Picardo said: “There were many things that we profoundly disagree on and things that we profoundly believe in, and the things that we profoundly believe in will give us the opportunity to once again sit around the table and discuss these things.
“Sr Moratinos has given a master class on the history of the situation and how Spain sees it, and how to try to find a way of constant confrontation which is all that has been achieved by the present Spanish government.
“One of the points that was made and one that Government of Gibraltar has been making consistently and I think Sr Moratinos will agree with us is to guarantee the security of the European Union, to guarantee that those waters cannot be used by those wishing to traffic drugs and of course, most important, to guarantee the security of people living on both sides of the Bay of Gibraltar.
“We must do that together. When law enforcement agencies work together to stop drug traffickers, people traffickers and terrorists from accessing our shores, that is the most important thing.”
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