Minister for europe visits gibraltar
The Minister for Europe, David Lidington is on visit to Gibraltar over the 30th of June and 1st of July 2014 to underline UK support for Gibraltar and assess the impact of the border delays.
The visit will enable the Minister to visit the border between Gibraltar and Spain to witness first-hand the continuing delays at the crossing. Later he will hold discussions with HM Government of Gibraltar, and meet a wide range of Gibraltarians.
The visit comes days after the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee held a meeting on the Gibraltar border dispute which came to a possible solution of Gibraltar joining the Schengen Agreement, where the border would be removed completely.
View the full report published 1st July here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmfaff/461/461.pdf
The Minister for Europe said:
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to visit Gibraltar again. I look forward to observing some of the initiatives being undertaken by the Government of Gibraltar and to meeting a wide range of people on the rock, who together contribute to a vibrant and prosperous Gibraltar.”
The Minister for Europe will meet the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister reflecting a strong relationship which has seen the UK Government and HM Government of Gibraltar working in lockstep to tackle Spanish pressure over the past year. The Minister will also take a tour on the waters with the Gibraltar Squadron to allow him to see the work of the Royal Navy upholding British sovereignty of Gibraltar’s waters.
Friend of the British Overseas Territories is pleased to see the UK Government turning its attension to the Gibraltar-Spain border dispute and welcomes the calls for Gibraltar to join the Schengen zone, which would ease congestion and improve access between Gibraltar and Spain.