LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN FROM KEITH VAZ
MP, MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
In my letter of 18 February I promised to write
further in response to your request for the FCO's comments on
Senor Pique's speech to the Spanish Senate on 8 February. We have
already sent you the text of an English translation.
We agree with those elements of Senor Pique's
speech which underline the overall strength and potential of the
bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Spain. But
we were disappointed by the negative tone and content of the remarks
on Gibraltar.
In this context, I should restate the Government's
position on some important points:
— our commitment to the people of Gibraltar,
as set out in the preamble to the 1969 Constitution, is consistent
with the Treaty of Utrecht and is founded on democratic principles;
in no way is it a shield or excuse to justify a British "colonial
presence" in Gibraltar;
— provided the terms of the Treaty
of Utrecht are respected, the question of constitutional reform
in Gibraltar is a matter for the United Kingdom and Gibraltar,
although, as your Committee highlighted in its 1999 report on
Gibraltar, Spanish concerns are clearly a matter both sides will
wish to bear in mind;
— any discussions within the Brussels
Process can only sensibly take place against a background of dialogue,
co-operation and trust aimed at developing a more constructive
and good neighbourly relationship between Spain and Gibraltar.
Certain practical problems, for example, over border delays and
Gibraltar's shortage of telephone numbers, need to be addressed
urgently on their own merits. But their resolution would also
help to create a more positive relationship;
— we have already rejected the suggestion
that Spain should have a formal role in respect of the British
military base in Gibraltar and finally, we do not accept the various
specific criticisms which are made of Gibraltar, for example,
in respect of its finance centre, its economy and its implementation
of EU legislation. The financial sector is now subject to independent
regulation and Gibraltar's measures to prevent money-laundering
have been recently examined by the Financial Action Task Force;
far from being a parasite economy, Gibraltar offers employment
to many Spanish citizens and mutual economic growth should be
in everyone's interests; and Gibraltar's record on the implementation
of EU legislation has improved significantly over the past few
years following sustained efforts by the Government of Gibraltar.
6 March 2001
|
