By Kate Whannel
Political reporter
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron is travelling to Brussels on Friday for negotiations over Gibraltar and its post-Brexit relationship with the EU.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič will also attend the talks
The sides are likely to discuss how to manage Gibraltar’s border.
However, the meeting is not expected to result in a final agreement.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Picardo said he was “optimistic” that it would “move us firmly into the territory for delivery of this treaty”.
He added that he wanted to advance matters “insofar as we can do so safely and securely and without compromising any aspect of our sacrosanct sovereignty jurisdiction and control”.
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory situated on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula where it shares a border with Spain.
The UK’s decision to leave the EU in 2016, and thereby end freedom of movement between the two created problems in Gibraltar, where thousands of people cross the border with Spain every day to work, shop or visit family.
The territory was not included in the permanent UK-EU Brexit deal, and has instead been operating under ad hoc arrangements.
Since October 2021 there have been 17 rounds of talks aimed at reaching a permanent solution.
Last month, veteran Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash said he was “disturbed to hear” that the UK had agreed in principle to allow EU border checks to take place in Gibraltar and “joint UK-Spanish management of Gibraltar’s airport”, which is used by both commercial airlines and the RAF.
The chair of the European Scrutiny Committee also expressed concern that Gibraltar residents could be prevented from crossing into Spain “relatively unhindered”.
Foreign Office Minister David Rutley said the UK government would not agree to anything that “compromises sovereignty”.
On the future of the airport, he said the UK was “prepared to explore practical and technical options” but would “only agree to terms with which the Government of Gibraltar are content”.
