Gibraltar hopes high for Palma talks

THE Bulletin's publishing group, Grup Serra, sent a team to Gibraltar, on the eve of the trilateral talks between Spain, the United Kingdom and the Rock, which will be held in Calvia tomorrow and Tuesday. Attending the talks, A Forum for Dialogue on Gibraltar, will be the Rock's chief minister Peter Caruana; European director for the Foreign Office Dominick Chilcott, and Spain's director general of foreign policy José Pons, who is Majorcan. They will not be discussing sovereignty, but the talks will cover the use of the airport by Spain and the UK, recognition of a debt to Spanish workers employed in Gibraltar before 1969, which is when Spain closed the border, how to make border crossings easier and telecommunications (Spain at present does not recognise Gibraltar's prefix). Gibraltar has a population of about 30'000 inhabitants and around 5'000 Spaniards go there each day to work.
Paco Oliva, the editor of the Gibraltar Chronicle (founded in 1881, making it the oldest newspaper on the Rock), said that many of the goods on sale and raw materials came from Spain “so in a way we do depend a little on Spain. “It is important to forget the past a little and find ways in which both sides can understand one another.” Commenting on the labour problems, Oliva said that a lot of Spaniards worked in Gibraltar prior to 1969, receiving a salary and social benefits. “But in 1969, when relations with Spain were broken off, these people were left without work, and without being able to enter Gibraltar, and their wages were frozen. Gibraltar was forced to contract Majorcan workers to replace them. When democracy was restored in Spain, both governments tried to solve the problem without success.” He went on to say that it now appears that the United Kingdom will pay the benefits debt, in the region of 40 million euros, but Spain will advance it and the British goverment will pay it in instalments. As to the airport, Oliva said that Gibraltar wanted to attract more flights but to do so will have to enlarge the airport, which is an air base, with a road running through it. Traffic on this road has to be stopped every time a plan lands or takes off, which causes considerable traffic problems. But it is essential for development, particularly for the east side of the Rock, where hotels and a marina are to be built to boost tourism.
Oliva also commented on cross-border traffic, which needs to be speeded up. He pointed out that every time there is friction between the two governments, traffic stops being fluid, as the protocol is applied down to the last detail, slowing up the passage of vehicles. And as to communications, he said it was essential for Spain to recognise the Gibraltar prefix so that the system could be expanded.
The Mayor, Clive Beltran, said that it was chief minister Peter Caruana who is in charge of foreign relations. He himself is in favour of the talks and the fact that any agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom related to Giblratar had to have the approval of Gibraltar. “We are in the 21st century where the right of home rule should prevail. It is not possible to divide up Europe at the whim of four kings as in the 18th cenutry.” As to the man in the street, most of them are indifferent or unaware of the meeting which opens in Calvia tomorrow. “That's a matter for the politicians,” is the general consensus.
What does seem to annoy them, though, is a constant stream of journalists asking them if they consider themselves Spanish. “They know that we are always going to give the same answer, that we are fine as we are. And if there are problems between Spain and Gibraltar, we didn't create them, the politicians did. Especially the Spanish.” No members of the Liberal Party, which is radical and anti-Spain, were available for comment.
One Gilbraltar resident, Emily Figuera, however, was quite clear that Spain's democracy was very young, not yet 30 years old. “Its politicians, who are removed from reality, have always caused us problems at the border. I think that they should leave us in peace. As to the meeting in Majorca .... we'll see. I trust Caruana, he wants the best for us.” Other residents however, preferred to wait and see how the talks turned out before expressing an opinion.
One thing was quite clear, they were all very proud of having been born in Gibraltar, and said “we do not need anyone, we have resources.” The meeting is due to be held at the Hotel Punta Negra in Calvia, to prepare a meeting at ministerial level which will be held before the end of the year. Peter Caruana will be coming to Majorca after addressing the United Nations in New York on the problems facing the Rock. And he made it quite clear there that residents would not abandon their right to decide their future and to home rule. In the meantime, Spanish environmentalists have been protesting at the presence of a nuclear powered British Navy submarine, the HMS Turbulent in the port of Gibraltar. The submarine left yesterday morning.
A spokesman for Ecologists in Action said that they hoped the trilateral talks in Majorca will seek a solution to the presence of nuclear-powered submarines in Gibraltar. He added that if this were not the case, the organisation would start “a campaign against the United Kingdomn” because of the recent visits by nuclear submarines. He claimed that the Turbulent had had several problems, including a fire in April 2002, and a nuclear incident after which the crew had to be examined for possible radiation contamination.