Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Madrid's Hypocrisy

Despite that Spain has currently border disputes with two other countries: Portugal (Olivenza) and Marrocos (Ceuta), it is amazing the diplomatic pressure that Madrid is putting in London over the Gibraltar Issue. Unbelievably, there was a treaty to give Olivenza to Portugal and there was also a treaty to give Gibraltar to Britain in 1713.

Spain statment over Gibraltar:
"2. In ratifying the Convention, Spain wishes to make it known that this act cannot be construed as recognition of any rights or status regarding the maritime space of Gibraltar that are not included in article 10 of the Treaty of Utrecht of 13 July 1713 concluded between the Crowns of Spain and Great Britain. Furthermore, Spain does not consider that Resolution III of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea is applicable to the colony of Gibraltar, which is subject to a process of decolonization in which only relevant resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly are applicable."

The British statement

"With regard to point 2 of the declaration made upon ratification of the Convention by the Government of Spain, the Government of the United Kingdom has no doubt about the sovereignty of the United Kingdom over Gibraltar, including its territorial waters. The Government of the United Kingdom, as the administering authority of Gibraltar, has extended the United Kingdom's accession to the Convention and ratification of the Agreement to Gibraltar. The Government of the United Kingdom, therefore, rejects as unfounded point 2 of the Spanish declaration."

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