Albares on Gibraltar treaty: ‘We’re close but we have to do it soon’

Spain and the UK “both want” a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relations with the bloc, Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, said on Friday, adding: “I think we’re close.”

Mr Albares was speaking during a breakfast briefing in Madrid organised by the Nueva Economia Forum.

He was positive in his messaging on the Gibraltar negotiation, even while signalling that there were still areas of disagreement.

And he cautioned too that “we have to do it soon” given looming elections in the EU and the UK.

The briefing to the packed Forum Europa breakfast in the Mandarin Oriental Ritz hotel was dominated by international issues including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

But Mr Albares was asked to provide an update on the progress of the negotiation during the question-and-answer session at the end.

He revealed that he had discussed the treaty negotiation with his UK counterpart, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron, on the sidelines of the Davos gathering earlier this week.

He said too that a UK minister would be in Madrid today - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Leo Docherty - and that the treaty would be discussed during the visit.

Mr Albares offered little insight into the detail of the talks or the remaining stumbling blocks.

But as he has done on repeated occasions, he signalled Spain’s desire to reach an agreement.

“It’s something that I think both sides want,” Mr Albares said.

“What we want is an area of shared prosperity for Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.”

“Spain, some months ago now, put on the table a generous and balanced agreement that is good for both Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.”

An agreement “…to establish that area of shared prosperity, where we want free movement of people and goods, and the disappearance of physical barriers, the fence, so that this can occur, and for there to be a joint use of the airport.”

“Because that is beneficial for the Campo de Gibraltar.”

“That’s what we’re working on.”

“I think we’re close, but it is also true that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

“But Spain’s goodwill in order to reach that agreement, and the goodwill too on the UK side that I perceive in wanting to reach that agreement, is evident.”

Mr Albares acknowledged that there was some urgency to concluding the negotiation due to European elections in June and the likely prospect of a general election in the UK this year.

“We have to do it soon,” he said.

“I urge the UK to take that definitive step with courage and accept the agreement, because soon we will have elections to the European Parliament and there will be a new [European] Commission, and there will be delays again.”

“And there will probably be elections in the UK.”

“I think we have to think about the citizens of the Campo de Gibraltar, because it is their interests that must be paramount.”