Nov 20 - Irate Former Spanish Ambassador Cut Short By BBC Interviewer – Full Transcript Here
This morning, John Humphrys of the BBC’s Today Programme interviewed Inocencio Arias, a former Spanish Ambassdor to the UN about the recent incursion and the ongoing dispute between Spain and Gibraltar. Here is a transcript of the interview:
John Humphrys: We've always had a tricky relationship with Spain over Gibraltar putting it simply we say the Rock is ours and they say it’s theirs and every-so-often it boils over and then calms down again. This time there has actually been a stand-off in the Port of Gibraltar a Spanish ship sailed in without permission, stayed for twenty hours and left only when she was ordered to leave by a British warship. Dramatic stuff and now the Spanish Ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office here in London for ticking off. How do the Spanish defend what the British are calling a 'provocative action', well Inocencio Arias is the former Spanish Ambassador to the United Nations and he's on the line, good morning.
Mr Arias: Hi, good morning.
Reporter: It was provocative wasn't it.
Mr Arias: No I think this honestly this is ludicrous. What do you mean by provocative? Why provocative? That was our routine thing and to hear that the Spanish Government wants to provoke the United Kingdom is absolutely preposterous, absolutely ludicrous, the last thing that our Government wants now is to have any problem with a country who is our friend and an ally. Spain has enough problems for the time being to create another eh, eh, eh, eh I think the whole thing is ridiculous that's our tempest in a tea-pot that was a routine thing by a scientific boat and listen I am not in the Government any longer, I am retired but having worked for the Spanish Government for forty two years, having been Ambassador to the United Nation, spokesman for seven years is completely ridiculous that our Government wants to create a diversion or to provoke United Kingdom. That is completely ridiculous.
John Humphrys: Well the thing is you've got form haven’t you, Spain has got form I mean you've been after Gibraltar for the last few centuries and you still want it. That's the reality of it isn't it?
Mr Arias: Of course, of course we want it but we want it in a peaceful way we didn't invade the like the Argentineans did the Falkland's we want to discuss about it in a peaceful way and I will tell you more, when I was in the Government three or four years ago we were not exactly in a hurry to get back Gibraltar but we want it back, but it is not that we are going fight for it or that we want to have it tomorrow. We want to discuss it with the British Government and reach an agreement and say OK let's have a I don't know co-sovereignty, something, but let's talk _________________ about the heart of the matter.
John Humphrys: Yes, but you know perfectly you know absolutely without any shadow of doubt that there is no way at all that Britain would hand Gibraltar over to Spain and the reason you want it in particular now is because it's doing so well economically.
Mr Arias: But I am sorry but why there is no way at all. Britain has given away all the Colonies you know well remember Hong Kong there were six million people in Hong Kong they could have voted and you think they wanted to go back to China?
John Humphrys: Well do you think the people of Gibraltar want to go to Spain then?
Mr Arias: No they don't want to, I know that ...
John Humphrys: Well exactly that's the point.
Mr Arias: I know that but why you respect the wishes and the intention and even respect the wishes of the Hong Kong people. I know the Gibraltarian, the Gibraltarians in 95%, 96% they don't want to become Spanish now. I know that, we know that.
John Humphrys: Well exactly and maybe Spain's approach should be to be nice to them rather than to make life difficult for them.
Mr Arias: No, no, no, no, no that has failed we have been stupid to them, nice to them, hateful to them, loving to them we have tried everything they don't want to .........
John Humphrys: I must have been out on the afternoon you did all of that because mostly what you do is make life difficult for the people of Gibraltar.
Mr Arias: No, no but we can be very friendly too, we can be very friendly to them we open the border and we have been very friendly
John Humphrys: Only after you closed it
Mr Arias: Yes, yes excuse me. Hello now
John Humphrys: No, no I was pointing out that you opened the border only after you had closed it.
Mr Arias: Yeah we open the border, we closed it, we sit them at the table, we have tried every approach and we know they don't want to be the moment we started to be, to be loving and kind and friendly to them we thought that it would change the situation even a little bit, it didn’t so we know the Gibraltarians don't want to become Spanish but they are sitting on a Spanish ground.
John Humphrys: Alright forgive me we don't have time to rehearse all of that but thanks very much indeed for joining us Inocencio Arias, thank you.
