SPAIN SAYS GIBRALTAR WATERS ARE SPANISH

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 Thursday, October 10, 2019 - 10:06
SPAIN SAYS GIBRALTAR WATERS ARE SPANISH

Spain has again said that Gibraltar waters are Spanish, at a time when The Convent has accused the Spanish helicopter of making an incursion over Gibraltar airspace. It all points at the serious incident on the eastside last Sunday and the naivity of the RGP of establishing so-called 'cooperation' with the Spanish which is leading to Spain making inroads into Gibraltar sovereignty. 

At the UN Fourth Committee on Tuesday night, the representative of the United Kingdom, speaking in exercise of the right of reply, underlined its sovereignty over Gibraltar, reiterating that the Territory’s people already enjoy the right to self-determination.

"The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to honour its commitment not to enter into negotiations on sovereignty, with which the people are not content," the UK stressed.

For their part, the representative of Spain went over old ground saying that Gibraltar is a colony that breaks his country’s territorial integrity. Decolonization must occur through bilateral negotiations between Spain and the United Kingdom, he added, emphasizing that colonial situations are not compatible with the principles of the United Nations Charter.

When condemning what he called "attempts by the Administering Power to deny the colonial link," he pointed out that the waters surrounding Gibraltar are Spanish.

It is just as well that through the Deputy Chief Minister's excellent speech, the Gibraltar point of view, and our rights and aspirations, were strengthened further and recorded for posterity.

However, what the public is questioning is if the Commissioner of Police is not meddling dangerously in serious political issues, which is giving rise to the Spanish elevating their sea incursions to the air, with a Spanish helicopter manoeuvring close to our beaches and causing concern to beachgoers and others who were peacefully enjoying a Sunday afternoon.

It is bad enough that Gibraltar has to put up with continual incursions in our sovereign waters, that there should now be air incursions as well, as The Convent has rightly pointed out.

Surely, the time has come to put the Commissioner in his place by those whose responsibility it is.

It is as if he is not aware that there is a standing claim by Spain to Gibraltar's sovereignty, and that particularly someone in a high official position, should do nothing that could possibly lead to Gibraltar's position being weakened.

10-10-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR