Tri-Service
Gibraltar: Spain Asks Britain To Share 'The Rock'
Spain has invited Britain to share sovereignty of Gibraltar, arguing that the outcrop should not lose out on EU benefits following the UK's Brexit vote.
It says the move would allow the territory, ceded to Britain in 1713, to remain in the European Union.
Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo, however, said the answer is "no way, Jose." He said:
"When it comes to the question of whether we will transfer all or any part of our sovereignty to Spain, our answer will never change. It is simple: 'No way, Jose.' You will never get your hands on our Rock. Never."
Mr Picardo pointed to past disputes with Spain that affected the land border, which many Spaniards cross to work in the British territory on a daily basis.
In 2013, an argument over territorial waters saw Spain up border checks, creating hours-long traffic jams and forcing the European Commission to intervene.
Spain's UN ambassador Roman Oyarzun told a UN committee:
"Spain has formally invited the United Kingdom to open negotiations to reach an agreement so that the mandates of European Union treaties keep being applied in Gibraltar."
It's not the first time the idea of joint sovereignty has been proposed. It was once agreed by Britain and Spain in 2002, but was scrapped after Gibraltarians rejected it in a referendum.
Calls for joint sovereignty have increased following the Brexit vote however, with more than 95% of voters in the territory having chosen to remain in the EU.
Gibraltar has a thriving economy which heavily depends on its access to the EU's single market, based on the financial services sector, tourism and online gaming. Picture: David Stanley
Under the proposal, Gibraltarians would be able to keep their British nationality - but would also be eligible to gain Spanish citizenship.
The rocky headland on Spain's southern coast is the subject of a bitter, long-running row between London and Madrid, which wants to reclaim it.
The UK's deputy permanent representative at the UN, Peter Wilson, said Britain wouldn't enter any negotiations which Gibraltar was not happy with.
Cover photo courtesy of Tony Evans.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
