Gibraltar Says Subs Unwelcome for Nuclear Repairs
Date: 14-Feb-05
Country: SPAIN
The arrival of nuclear submarine HMS Sceptre last week revived tensions in the 300-year-old row over the British colony on Spain's south coast and overshadowed talks on Friday between Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana and representatives from Britain and Spain.
"Our position is that nuclear submarines should only visit Gibraltar for operational reasons or recreation for their crew, not for repairs to their nuclear systems," Caruana told Spanish state radio before talks in the Spanish city of Malaga.
Spain, Gibraltar and Britain later on Friday agreed to study the joint use of Gibraltar's airport -- currently off limits to Spanish aircraft -- and pledged to improve relations.
Spain lays claim to the colony while Gibraltar fiercely resists any Spanish role in its affairs, wishing to remain British but with greater home rule.
Britain pledges to support the will of the Gibraltarians, periodically causing friction with Spain, a fellow EU member state and NATO partner.
Jose Maria Pons, Spain's director general for Europe and the Spanish representative at the talks, asked Britain for written policy on submarine repairs in Gibraltar, according to a joint statement released after the talks.
Though the Sceptre only required repairs to the cooling system for its engine, its visit revived memories of a bitter quarrel in 2000 over another faulty British nuclear submarine, Tireless, which was stranded for a year in Gibraltar.
The Tireless leaked a small amount of contaminated water into the sea.
Spain complained officially to Britain about the Sceptre, which left Gibraltar on Wednesday.
"For us, it's a simple question: is there any danger to the citizens of Gibraltar and the (neighbouring Spanish region) Campo de Gibraltar?" Caruana said.
"This is not a base which is equipped to make repairs to the nuclear systems of submarines and the British government has no intention of converting it into one."
Friday's "open agenda" talks marked the first substantive three-way meeting and followed an ice-breaker among the three sides in December, but Caruana said Gibraltar's sovereignty was not up for discussion.
