The hysterical reaction from the GSD in respect of Mr Azopardi's position on an Andorra solution evidences how nervous he is about the content of his book and the signal it sends internationally.

The fact is that neither the Government nor Mr Picardo have made anything up. All Mr Picardo has done is read out the words which Mr Azopardi wrote in his own book.

Those words read as follows:

“It is a moot point whether Spain would accept an Andorra-style solution, …

This could be the quid pro quo for Spain accepting that it cannot acquire sovereignty and that the people of Gibraltar are the key repository of sovereignty…

Indeed the parties may wish to enter into a tripartite Agreement or Treaty to replace the Treaty of Utrecht, to which the EU may become a fourth party if it is to have some involvement in the resolution of the conflict. Such a Treaty could provide for the vesting of sovereignty in or for the people of Gibraltar on trust.”

Additionally, Mr Azopardi was Deputy Chief Minister when the then Chief Minister wrote articles in The Parliamentarian and the Gibraltar Chronicle which proposed an Andorra solution. The position of the GSD Government in which Mr Azopardi was Deputy Chief Minister was reported, in the Chronicle of Wednesday 20th March 2002, as follows:

"Chief Minister Peter Carauna has told Spain that if they put forward a referendum proposal for Gibraltar to be given a modern Andorra status the result of that may be more interesting than they think."

In the longer Parliamentarian article, Mr Caruana, on behalf of the GSD Government of which Mr Azopardi was Deputy Chief Minister, said:

"The Andorra model is one we could well examine and might well support."

Mr Azopardi did not disassociate himself at all from that position. In fact, in an article he also wrote in the same issue of The Parliamentarian, Mr Azopardi only referred to matters related to Financial Services.

It is that which risks sending out conflicting signals again at this sensitive time in the EU negotiations on the GSD's position on the fundamentals, whatever they may say now.

Moreover, Mr Azopardi's and the GSD's constant changing of positions on fundamental aspects of the negotiations make him and the GSD the risky choice to represent the People or Gibraltar at the negotiating table.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: "I am being insulted by the GSD and Mr Azopardi for simply quoting their and his words back at them. I am clear that Mr Azopardi said nothing to disassociate himself from the position set out by the Chief Minister he was Deputy to in 2002. Those words were clearly about the GSD's position on the status of Gibraltar. His book confirmed an affinity with the status of modern Andorra. Mr Azopardi also sets up the same question as Peter Caruana had done when he was Chief Minister about the potential for Spain to put such an option to Gibraltar. Mr Azopardi's statement on the Leaders Debate does not exonerate him from the opinion he expressed in his book and his de facto invitation for Spain to propose and Andorra solution. That is why putting Keith Azopardi at the negotiating table now is a risk for Gibraltar. It’s not what I say. It’s what he has said and what he has stood behind that creates that risk. It's clear. It's straight forward. It's Mr Azopardi's own words and the GSD's repeated policy positions on Andorra that are the problem - as well as their flip flopping on the key aspects of the negotiations. I make no apology for reminding the People of Gibraltar of what Mr Azopardi and the GSD have said. I know that the GSLP Liberal Government I lead has and will keep Gibraltar safe in all aspects of our handling of the affairs of our nation, in particular the EU negotiations."

A copy of the article in the Gibraltar Chronicle (which reproduced the article in the Parliamentarian) is attached.

ENDS