The United Kingdom said Monday it was
"reasonably confident"
about the conclusion of a post-Brexit treaty with the European Union concerning the future of Gibraltar, a British enclave in the south of Spain.
Read also: Brexit: Spain and the United Kingdom reach an agreement on Gibraltar in extremis
A few hours before the effective exit of Great Britain from the EU, on December 31, Madrid and London had reached a framework agreement on this territory at the last minute.
But the details were to be fixed before the end of June by the Spaniards and the British.
"Everyone knows that these negotiations can be difficult but I think that we have dealt with a lot of stumbling blocks and that we have overcome them in the negotiations that we had during the Christmas period"
, said the chief. of diplomacy Dominic Raab during a joint press conference in Gibraltar with the head of government of this enclave Fabian Picardo.
"Obviously, this requires goodwill on all sides but I am really reasonably confident (...) I think that we can make this framework agreement a legally binding treaty"
, added Dominic Raab, who stressed that 'it would take
"hard work" to get there
.
15,000 border crossings every day
The framework agreement between Madrid and London provides for the application to Gibraltar of Schengen rules - free movement within 22 of the 27 EU member states and four other European countries - despite the departure of the United Kingdom of the European Union.
Some 15,000 people, mostly Spaniards, cross the border every day on their way to this British territory for work.