Spain fury as Gibraltar celebrates
MADRID, Spain -- Spain has accused the British government of a lack of "self-control" for joining in celebrations Wednesday of the anniversary of Gibraltar's seizure.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said spats between Britain and Spain's new Socialist government over Gibraltar demonstrated a "clear lack of sensitivity" by London.
"No one can deny the people of Gibraltar the right to commemorate their own history... However, we would have expected an exercise in self-control on the part of the British government," Moratinos wrote in El Pais newspaper.
Britain's Royal Navy was being granted the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar Wednesday as commemorations of the 300th anniversary of British sovereignty over "the Rock" reached a climax.
Spain was particularly furious about the attendance of UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon at the events.
Hoon and First Sea Lord Sir Alan West were due to be present for a military parade involving more than 300 British servicemen, 300 years to the day after the capture of the Mediterranean outpost by an Anglo-Dutch fleet on August 4, 1704.
They were expected to receive an enthusiastic reception from Gibraltar's 30,000 residents, almost all of whom are passionately committed to British sovereignty, which was formally confirmed by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
The highlight of the celebrations was a human chain of thousands of people around the 425-metres-high rock which constitutes the centrepiece of the British enclave of 6.5 square kilometres on Spain's southernmost tip.
Spain has long demanded the return of the strategic strip of land.
London and Madrid came close to a deal on joint sovereignty in 2002, but it collapsed following an unofficial referendum showing 99 percent of Gibraltarians were opposed to the change.
Tensions flared last week when Britain announced Hoon would visit the tiny territory.
Madrid summoned the British ambassador to protest but Hoon went ahead with the visit which began Monday.
A visit last month by Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth's daughter, also sparked outrage in the Spanish media and prompted Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's government to complain to the British ambassador.
Zapatero, elected in March, has described a visit by British nuclear submarine HMS Tireless last month as the incident which most displeased him during his first 100 days in office.
 Hoon in Gibraltar Tuesday with his wife and an unidentified senior Royal Navy officer. |  |
Moratinos said Spain was aware that escalating reproaches would not lead anywhere and it would be more useful for parties to start a process of adapting the proposals on Gibraltar.
"If they (Britain) are prepared to speak about Gibraltar, so too is Spain, logically," Moratinos said on state radio.
In London, Britain's minister for Europe Denis MacShane met Spain's new ambassador and discussed topics including Gibraltar.
A Foreign Office spokesman told Reuters the talks were "relaxed and friendly" and the two agreed, informally, on the need to discuss issues, including Gibraltar, in a calm and quiet manner.
Gibraltar's Chief Minister Peter Caruana told Spain that this week's celebrations were "none of their business."
"How we choose to celebrate our very close links with Britain and our British sovereignty is a matter for us," he said.
Caruana was critical of the U.S. for withdrawing the Naval frigate USS McFaul from Wednesday's ceremonies following pressure from Madrid.
The decision was "a huge snub" to Gibraltar's people, who have been supportive of the U.S. Navy's use of facilities on their territory, he said.
We would have expected an exercise in self-control on the part of the British government.
