Blogs and advice from Industry leading Specialists
Valuable Opinions, Comments & Gossip
Financial related News & Articles relating to Spain
Latest News, Stories
& Hot Topics
Various Tools & Widgets to help with your financial needs
Tools & Widgets to
help with finances
Polls, Surveys and Opinions featured throughout Tumbit
Featured Polls, Surveys & Stats
Discussions, Advice & Topical Chat
Discussions, Advice & Topical Chat

UK - Spain relationship "Excellent" : Rajoy

Source: Mercopress - Sat 23rd Nov 2013
UK - Spain relationship 'Excellent' : Rajoy

"Relations between the United Kingdom and Spain are excellent. Excellent" Mariano Rajoy confirmed in an interview with Radio Nacional de España yesterday.

The PM went on to say how "Since I have been president of the government I have met on various occasions with Mr Cameron. Either he has been in Spain or I have been in London as well as seeing each other regularly at the council meetings in Brussels. We have talked about the issue of Gibraltar and there is no reason this should be an obstacle to the relationship between the UK and Spain. As far as I am concerned that is not going to happen."

However Rajoy added that beyond that relationship the European Commission has just been in Gibraltar. "The EC has just said that the controls that Spain carries out at the ‘gate' are correct. Something we already knew but the EC has just said. It has also said that there is smuggling in Gibraltar, a lot of smuggling".

"Gibraltar is a tax haven. Gibraltar is acting against the environment. These are things that we cannot accept. And we are not going to accept them. We have already formally complained to the EC on the environment and on fiscal matters and we are going to control the smuggling between Gibraltar and la Linea," he said.

Rajoy declined to comment on the calling in of the Spanish ambassador by the Foreign Office in London and said that he is focused on a good relationship with the British "and that is how it will be."

"But my duty is also to defend the interests of the Spanish and that is also how it is going to be."

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García- Margallo said he is "very satisfied" with the work performed by his ambassador in London , Federico Trillo , in relation to Gibraltar.

"When I'm not [satisfied] I usually change the ambassador, which I have not done," Garcia-Margallo said. He told reporters that " Gibraltar affairs are going well " and stressed that relations between Spain and the UK reflect that they are "friends" who are partners in the European Union and NATO and must move in the context of "dialogue" and "legality".

On Wednesday Spain's Defence Minister Peter Morenés, commenting on the latest incidents in the Bay of Gibraltar, declared that "we have not been in waters that we do not consider anything other than Spanish", adding "so we have no conflict as far as we are concerned."

Minister of Agriculture Miguel Arias Cañete said he cannot understand "that a Member State of the European Union , like the United Kingdom, would "hamper" the work done by Spain to check water quality at a Special Conservation Area waters that are " Spanish" next to the Rock of Gibraltar.

Recommended Reading

Gibraltar Requests Royal Navy Assistance Against Spain

EU Says Spanish Controls at Gibraltar Border "Lawful"

Comment on this Story

 
Be the first to comment on this Story !!

Related Partners

Recommended Items

Related Articles

Related Blogs