The first political meeting to try to break the deadlock in negotiations over Gibraltar between the European Union and the United Kingdom, attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the Chief Minister of the Rock, Fabián Picardo, has concluded without an agreement but with "significant progress," according to the joint statement.
"The negotiations will continue over the coming weeks to finalize the agreement," the statement specifies, highlighting that "significant progress" has been made and "general political lines have been agreed, including on the airport, goods, and mobility," although details have not been discussed.
The meeting in Brussels, led by Vice President of the Commission responsible for this issue, Maros Sefcovic, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, is the first held at such a high level since negotiations began almost two and a half years ago, although 18 rounds of technical-level contacts have taken place between London and Brussels since then.
Participants have agreed that "it has been a productive day" and have emphasized that the meeting has allowed them to reaffirm "the shared commitment to conclude a EU-UK Agreement that ensures a future of prosperity" for the Rock and the Campo de Gibraltar, in line with what Spain and the UK have been advocating.
This agreement, they concluded in the brief three-paragraph declaration, "will bring confidence, legal certainty, and stability to the lives and quality of life of the people throughout the region, without prejudice to the legal positions of each party," thus making it clear that it does not affect the sovereignty claims over Gibraltar by Spain and the UK.
The meeting started punctually at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels around noon and lasted until almost 4:00 p.m., although each negotiating team was able to prepare its strategy beforehand, with Vice President Sefcovic meeting with Albares' team and Minister Cameron meeting with the Gibraltar delegation, respectively, in the moments leading up to the meeting.