Dec 07 - First Official Round Of Brexit Talks In London Today
The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia left for London yesterday in order to attend the first official meeting with the United Kingdom Government on the negotiations to leave the European Union.
The meeting will be chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union Robin Walker and will also include the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Sir Alan Duncan.
A formal Joint Ministerial structure between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar Governments will be the mechanism that will be used to conduct the discussions. This is the same structure that is being utilised by the United Kingdom Government with the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is also another separate structure which encompasses all the other United Kingdom Overseas Territories. It has already been made clear that Gibraltar will engage separately to the other Overseas Territories given our different relationship as part of the European Union.
A Government statement continued: “It will be recalled that Gibraltar has already engaged extensively with the United Kingdom Government at the very highest levels. This has included meetings with the Prime Minister Theresa May, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, the Brexit Secretary David Davis and the Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox. A very detailed report on the impact of Brexit across Government departments and the private sector in Gibraltar was submitted to the United Kingdom some months ago and will now form the basis for the discussions going forward.
“Mr Picardo will lead the Gibraltar delegation, which comprises the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, who is responsible for European Affairs and for work relating to the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU, the Attorney General Michael Llamas and UK Representative Dominique Searle.
“Mr Picardo and Dr Garcia will take advantage of their time in London to attend other meetings and they return to Gibraltar on Thursday. In their absence, the Minister for Education and the Environment Dr John Cortes will act as Chief Minister.”
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