Ahead of high-level Brussels meeting, Albares says ‘we’re getting closer’ to Gib deal

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Thursday that negotiators are “getting closer to everything being agreed” for a UK/EU treaty for Gibraltar.

He was speaking on Onda Cero ahead of a meeting in Brussels on Friday where he will discuss progress in the talks with UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.

It is the first such high-level political meeting since the treaty talks began over two years ago and comes after 18 rounds of negotiation.

“As you know, I always say that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, in the agreement regarding Gibraltar,” Mr Albares said.

“But I believe we are getting closer to everything being agreed.”

“There have been technical meetings in recent weeks, at the level of officials, which have led to significant convergence of our positions with the United Kingdom regarding the Gibraltar agreement, seeking that area of shared prosperity for Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.”

Although there are no deadlines to the negotiation, all eyes are firmly on the EU’s June elections and the UK’s general election expected later this year.

There is shared concern that if a deal is not reached before June, the process could be stalled for many months and could lose momentum.

All sides have cautioned that a final agreement is unlikely to be reached on Friday and that there is still work to be done.

But getting senior politicians from the UK, the European Commission, Spain and Gibraltar in one room is seen as a significant step toward that end goal.

“Perhaps tomorrow [meaning Friday] won't be the final day, because these are complex, technical issues,” Mr Albares said.

“There will need to be further drafting.”

“But we are starting to get close to reaching an agreement on the general lines.”

On Thursday morning, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia left Gibraltar for Brussels, where Attorney General Michael Llamas has been working through the week on coordination of the high-level meeting.

“This is an important opportunity to advance matters towards completion of a treaty deal,” Mr Picardo said.

“We are approaching this meeting constructively and with the desire to advance matters, insofar as we can do so safely and securely and without compromising any aspect of our sacrosanct sovereignty, jurisdiction and control.”

During his interview on Onda Cero, Mr Albares was asked about the physical removal of the border fence, something that was touted as a goal at the very start of the process.

While the fence is unlikely to be removed in its entirety, not least because a large section of it adjoins secure areas including the runway and military facilities, the hope is a UK/EU treaty for Gibraltar will ensure freedom of movement for communities on both sides of the border, including the removal of border checks.

“Yes, that's one of the agreements, the physical disappearance of the fence,” Mr Albares said.

“Because what we want is freedom of movement, and for that to happen, physical barriers must also disappear. That's part of the agreement.”

“We could witness the moment when the physical barrier is removed because we have to allow for that freedom of movement, and because that is beneficial for the entire relationship between Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.”