Feb 11 - Number Six: Foreign Secretary’s Visit To Madrid “Cannot Be Presented As Bilateral Meeting On Gibraltar”
The Gibraltar Government has said that the visit of Foreign Secretary Hammond to Madrid is part of his tour of all European capitals ahead of the general election in respect of the Prime Minster's stated agenda to renegotiate EU treaties.
The Foreign Secretary has already visited 21 European capital cities. Number Six says that, in light of this, this visit cannot be presented as a bilateral on Gibraltar in any possible sense. As far as the Government is concerned, the position of the United Kingdom remains exactly as set out by the British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, at last week's address by the Chief Minister in Madrid, namely seeking re-engagement of Trilateral Dialogue and if possible Ad Hoc dialogue before then, exactly the position of the Government of Gibraltar itself.
