The Córdoba Agreement was an agreement between the governments of
Spain
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, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
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to establish a tripartite forum for co-operation on
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
. It was signed by Spanish Foreign Minister
Miguel Ángel Moratinos
Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé (born 8 June 1951) is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and was a member of Congress from 2004 to 2011, where he represented Córdoba. Since 7 January 2019 he is the UN ...
, UK Minister for Europe
Geoff Hoon and Gibraltar's
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
Peter Caruana
Sir Peter Richard Caruana, (born 15 October 1956) is a Gibraltarian former politician who served as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 1996 to 2011 and Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) from 1991 to 2013.
Caruana is a barrister by pr ...
. in
Córdoba.
Background
The agreement, signed in 2006, was the result of nearly two years of talks between the three governments, giving a voice to Gibraltar in talks between Britain and Spain for the first time. The agreement stemmed from an initiative by the incoming
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
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* political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gov ...
government in 2004, which proposed a Forum of Dialogue, in which for the first time Gibraltar would take part as an independent third party.
Key agreements
The key agreements were:
* Aviation: Flights between Spain and Gibraltar
* Telecommunications: Spanish recognition of Gibraltar's
IDD telephone code phone, lifting of
limits on dialling Gibraltar from Spain and mobile roaming in Spain for Gibraltar mobile phones
* Dispute over pension payments to Spaniards who once worked in Gibraltar resolved
* Spain promised to reduce its border controls and ease movement across the frontier.
The agreement established the
Tripartite Forum, providing for regular dialogue between the three parties. In July 2009, the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos attended talks in Gibraltar, the first Spanish minister to ever make an official visit to the British Overseas Territory. The agreement has not been without criticism. In Spain it has been reported as "a shameful moment in Spain's history" and in Gibraltar talks were criticised due to Moratinos' role in the controversy of
British Gibraltar Territorial Waters
The Gibraltar Port Authority develops and manages the Port of Gibraltar.
History
On 19 February 1706, Anne, Queen of Great Britain granted Free Port status to Gibraltar. In the early 18th century, Gibraltar was principally a garrison where ...
. The forum was designed to facilitate dialogue on a number of issues, putting the sovereignty issue to one side.
An independent appraisal by Peter Gold concluded that ''"given the fundamental differences in the ultimate objectives of the Forum participants and in particular Spain's sensitivity to Gibraltar's status, the agreements may only prove to be a means of managing the Gibraltar 'problem' rather than resolving it."'' Spain has continued to insist it will only discuss sovereignty with the United Kingdom and not as part of the Tripartite Forum.
See also
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Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 was published on 30 May 1969 as an Order in Council.
The constitution was the outcome of the Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd which lasted from 16 July to 24 July 196 ...
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Lisbon Agreement, 1980
The Lisbon Agreement was the first of a series of agreements between the British and Spanish governments intended to resolve their differences concerning Gibraltar.
Background
The 1969 Gibraltarian constitutional order made it clear that the B ...
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Brussels Agreement, 1984
The Brussels Agreement, 1984, was an agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and of Spain concerning the territorial dispute over Gibraltar. The agreement was criticised by Gibraltar politicians for limiting the participation of ...
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2002 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum
The Gibraltar sovereignty referendum of 2002 was a referendum, called by the Government of Gibraltar and held on 7 November 2002 within the British overseas territory, on a proposal by the UK Government to share sovereignty of the territory bet ...
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Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 was taken to a referendum in Gibraltar on 30 November 2006. A coalition of groups opposing the proposal held that a majority of 60% should be required to give effect to a new Constitution, quoting other inst ...
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
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External links
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Politics of Gibraltar
Spain–United Kingdom relations
Treaties of Spain
Treaties of the United Kingdom
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