Spain and Britain will hold another round of talks on the territorial dispute over Gibraltar in October in Madrid, Spanish Foreign Minister Mr Josep Pique said today.
A ministerial level meeting was held in London on July 26th last, marking the first time in four years that the governments had sat down to address the dispute.
At that meeting, London and Madrid agreed to make every effort to overcome differences over the sovereignty of Gibraltar, which Spain has been claiming since it lost the territory to Britain under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
Mr Pique said in an interview to Europa Pressthat Spain will continue to maintain tight border controls until Gibraltar improves its tax system.
Madrid maintains that Gibraltar is a haven for money launderers and tax evaders. The controls result in long waits, at times stretching for hours, for those who want to leave Gibraltar.
Local Gibraltar authorities say the border controls are a pressure tactic as part of the campaign to regain sovereignty over the territory. Gibraltar’s population is 30,000.
AFP