Last night, the Minister for Health, Care and Business, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, addressed the Gibraltar Funds & Investments Association (GFIA) Annual Dinner on behalf of the Chief Minister, who remains in London engaged in the final and most delicate stages of negotiations for Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union.

Speaking at the Alameda Gardens to an audience of Gibraltar’s leading financial professionals, the Minister delivered a powerful message of unity and cautious optimism, acknowledging the importance of the moment and the gravity of the decisions now being taken by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.

“This is a moment of real consequence for Gibraltar,” the Minister told the room. The Minister spoke candidly about the emotional and political resonance of the Brexit referendum for Gibraltar, a campaign which she led, reminding attendees that 96% of voters had sent a clear message in favour of remaining within the European Union. That result, she said, was a clear mandate for close ties with the European Union.

In her remarks, the Minister emphasised the Government’s red lines: sovereignty, jurisdiction and control. She made clear that these principles have not moved and would not be compromised, no matter how close the agreement might be.

Reflecting on the leadership of the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, the Minister praised their “unrelenting dedication” to securing a treaty that protects Gibraltar’s future. She reminded the audience that few could have imagined, nine years ago, a scenario in which Gibraltar would be continuously represented at the highest levels of international diplomacy and that those meetings would be for close ties with the European Union.

A transcript of the Minister's speech is available here