Britain and Spain agreed to work together to calm tempers over the contested British overseas territory of Gibraltar after the Spanish government threatened to restrict access to the territory. A centuries-old conflict over the British outpost boiled over in late July when boats from Gibraltar dumped concrete blocks into the sea to make a reef while Spain created long delays at the border days later, with lengthy car checks.
The row escalated so quickly that some believe the Spanish government is using it as a distraction from woes at home, where the ruling party has been embroiled in a corruption scandal and the economy is in a long recession.
Both sides have now said they will try to find a solution to the spat. Britain’s prime minister David Cameron and his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy talked over the phone on Wednesday. ‘Rajoy agreed he did not want the issue to become an obstacle in the bilateral relations and we need to find a way to de-escalate the issue,’ Cameron’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
Rajoy emphasised the friendly relations between the two countries, his office said in a statement, and said the countries’ foreign ministries would work together to resolve the differences.
Spain had threatened to impose harsher measures on travellers to the territory on the country’s southern tip, including a 50-euro ($66.60) border-crossing fee. It also raised the prospect of tax investigations into thousands of Gibraltarians who own property in Spain.
Madrid did not refer to extra measures on Wednesday and it was not clear whether Spain would relax its border controls. Spaniards and Gibraltarians travelling to and from the British outpost for work or as tourists have faced queues that were sometimes several hours long.
Cameron’s office said Spain had committed to reduce border measures, but later statements from Rajoy’s office and the Spanish foreign ministry did not confirm that. They focused instead on Spain’s right to carry out checks to crack down on smuggling and avoid tax fraud.
The 1.2km border between Spain and Gibraltar, home to close to 30,000 people, has been a frequent source of conflict with Britain in its three centuries of sovereignty over the territory. General Francisco Franco closed the border in 1969 and it wasn’t reopened until 1982, seven years after his death. Other restrictions over British flights’ access to Gibraltar from a Spanish stopover have also frequently made daily life difficult for citizens and travellers.
The row escalated so quickly that some believe the Spanish government is using it as a distraction from woes at home, where the ruling party has been embroiled in a corruption scandal and the economy is in a long recession.
Both sides have now said they will try to find a solution to the spat. Britain’s prime minister David Cameron and his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy talked over the phone on Wednesday. ‘Rajoy agreed he did not want the issue to become an obstacle in the bilateral relations and we need to find a way to de-escalate the issue,’ Cameron’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
Rajoy emphasised the friendly relations between the two countries, his office said in a statement, and said the countries’ foreign ministries would work together to resolve the differences.
Spain had threatened to impose harsher measures on travellers to the territory on the country’s southern tip, including a 50-euro ($66.60) border-crossing fee. It also raised the prospect of tax investigations into thousands of Gibraltarians who own property in Spain.
Madrid did not refer to extra measures on Wednesday and it was not clear whether Spain would relax its border controls. Spaniards and Gibraltarians travelling to and from the British outpost for work or as tourists have faced queues that were sometimes several hours long.
Cameron’s office said Spain had committed to reduce border measures, but later statements from Rajoy’s office and the Spanish foreign ministry did not confirm that. They focused instead on Spain’s right to carry out checks to crack down on smuggling and avoid tax fraud.
The 1.2km border between Spain and Gibraltar, home to close to 30,000 people, has been a frequent source of conflict with Britain in its three centuries of sovereignty over the territory. General Francisco Franco closed the border in 1969 and it wasn’t reopened until 1982, seven years after his death. Other restrictions over British flights’ access to Gibraltar from a Spanish stopover have also frequently made daily life difficult for citizens and travellers.