Today (April 12), Lord David Cameron, the UK’s foreign secretary is set to sit down for talks over the future of Gibraltar and its relations with Spain and the European Union.
Lord Cameron will meet his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares in what is being seen as a key and definitive meeting over the British Overseas Territory.
Talks over the territory’s post-Brexit relations have been ongoing since October 2021, but no decision has been made yet. This meeting will likely be the last chance for the high profile politicians to unblock the negotiation of the treaty before the European elections.
Spanish publication EuropaSur said of the imminent face-to-face in Brussels: “The impression is that we are witnessing a point of no return, an all or nothing situation: either there is an agreement or the deck is stacked until further notice”.
Now, as the future of Gibraltar-EU relations hanging in the balance, Express readers are being asked whether they think Spain should have any control over the region. Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.
If you can’t see the poll above, click here.
Mr Ricardo said he was ‘optimistic’ about the meeting, and is relishing the chance to make significant progress in the ongoing talks.
He said: “I look forward to engaging on treaty issues with the different parties later this week. Gibraltar remains fully committed to secure a safe treaty which will govern our future relationship with the EU.
“If the deal on offer is not safe, then I will clearly not bring it back, but I am confident that we may be able to agree a positive and constructive way forward. I am optimistic that the meeting on Friday will very positively advance matters and move us firmly into the territory for delivery of this treaty.”
In 2020, Britain and Spain reached a provisional agreement over free access for goods and people in post-Brexit Gibraltar. However, no definitive accord has yet been drawn up.
