John Culatto
THE Chief Minister of Gibraltar has welcomed the UK appointments of Lizz Truss as Prime Minister and James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary in government statements.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also thanked Boris Johnson for his support for Gibraltar during the COVID-19 crisis and EU talks.
Picardo offered Truss his ‘warmest congratulations’ and called her ‘a great friend of Gibraltar’.
“Liz has always been a great friend of Gibraltar and has worked very closely with us during her time as International Trade Secretary and Foreign Secretary,” said Picardo in a statement.
“As International Trade Secretary, Liz was instrumental in delivering trade deals for Gibraltar and as Foreign Secretary we have worked very closely together on all issues not least on the negotiations for a UK/EU Treaty on Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU,” he added.
Picardo said he had known Cleverly ‘for some years’ and had ‘worked very well with him in the time that he was Minister for Europe’.
The new Foreign Secretary ‘is well aware of the current issues’ Gibraltar is facing during the ‘final stage in the successful negotiation of a UK/EU Treaty’, the local leader said.
“We could not have wished for a better appointment and I look forward to meeting soon with the new Foreign Secretary to start our work together,” Picardo added.
Gibraltar’s Chief Minister said he had also written to Johnson ‘to thank him for the personal support he and his cabinet colleagues have shown for Gibraltar throughout his time in office’.
The statement accredited Johnson for ‘ensuring the successful delivery of lifesaving vaccines’ and ‘the provision of a Sovereign Guarantee for our COVID borrowing’.
READ MORE:
- Pumping of oil from Gibraltar shipwreck continues after busy weekend cleaning up spill after-effects
- Gibraltar finally given official city status 180 years after Queen Victoria awarded it
- Gibraltar learns how to make parliament more effective at Covid-delayed Commonwealth conference
