Foreign sec in Gibraltar as negotiations over post-Brexit deal with Spain heat up

Foreign Secretary David Lammy is successful Gibraltar up of a imaginable post-Brexit woody with Spain.

Ever since the UK near the EU, the concern successful the British Overseas Territory has been up successful the air, with London, Madrid and Gibraltar each engaged successful negotiations connected a way forward.

Spain disputes the UK's ownership of the territory, which is located connected the southbound of the Iberian peninsular other North Africa.

Known for its strategical value astatine the entranceway to the Mediterranean, Gibraltar is besides location to an RAF base.

Mr Lammy arrived successful Gibraltar overnight connected a ministerial plane.

A authorities spokesperson told Sky News past night: "The overseas caput is successful Gibraltar to conscionable main curate Fabian Picardo to sermon the latest connected negotiations, arsenic each sides look to reason an statement arsenic soon arsenic possible."

It is imaginable a woody could beryllium announced successful Brussels astatine immoderate constituent successful the future.

Foreign secretaries visiting Gibraltar is unusual, with the past authoritative sojourn appearing to person been from Dominic Raab successful March 2021.

Mr Picardo was successful London past week to sermon negotiations with UK ministers.

Local media has reported that a woody could beryllium announced "imminently". Earlier connected Tuesday, the EU projected removing Gibraltar from its database of "high hazard 3rd countries" erstwhile it comes to wealth laundering.

If a woody is announced connected Wednesday, it would coincide with the UK government's spending review.

Any statement would beryllium intimately scrutinised by eurosceptics successful Reform and the Conservative Party, who person criticised Sir Keir Starmer's EU reset deal and the handing implicit of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

How to woody with borderline crossings

A bespoke statement connected Gibraltar - which was captured by the UK successful the aboriginal 18th period - was required aft Brexit arsenic Spain objected to it being included successful the EU wide negotiations.

Since the UK near the EU, a reciprocal statement to not stamp passports has been successful spot connected some sides of borderline for Gibraltar residents entering Spain and Spaniards travelling the different way.

However, each sides person wanted to get a due woody successful spot earlier the EU's caller entry/exit strategy comes into place, which is present slated for October this twelvemonth - contempt it being delayed aggregate times.

In proposals made successful 2021, the EU said it wanted to spot Spanish authorities get extended powers implicit migration into Gibraltar from extracurricular the Schengen escaped question area, with EU institutions fixed the powerfulness to enforce the applicable laws successful the territory.

Both the UK and Gibraltar person opposed specified an extended presence, and amended proposals were made.

The erstwhile Conservative authorities and existent Labour medication person said they would not hold to immoderate woody that handed Gibraltar implicit to different state, oregon 1 that Gibraltar was not blessed with.

In September past year, Mr Lammy and Mr Picardo met successful London.

The overseas caput said afterwards helium "reaffirmed our enactment to them successful each eventualities and reiterated that we volition lone hold to presumption that Gibraltar is contented with".

Since Labour took powerfulness conscionable nether a twelvemonth ago, negotiations person continued.

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In October, Mr Picardo said proposals had been made that "guarantee the information and information of the Schengen
Area and the integrity of the azygous market".

Last month, EU assembly main Antonia Costa said the sides were "not precise far" from finishing a deal.