'REST EASY, BRITS' SAYS RAJOY
Spain's acting PM wants to reassure British expats over Brexit concerns
BRITISH nationals living in Spain can “rest easy,” according to acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy. The assurance came out of last Thursday’s meeting in Madrid between Rajoy and the UK’s new prime minister, Theresa May.
There was no press conference following their get-together at the Moncloa Palace with the only feedback appearing on the Spanish government’s official website.
It reported that Rajoy listened to May’s plans for taking Britain’s exit from the EU forward and pledged to protect the interests of the Spanish people and Spanish companies.
Rajoy is quoted as saying: “British people living in Spain, the millions of British tourists who visit us every year, and the British companies based on Spanish territory can rest easy.”
The report added that Rajoy reiterated to Theresa May his regret over the British decision and informed her of Spain’s priorities in response to this “undesired situation.” He also stressed that Spain: “aspires to maintain close and friendly relations with the United Kingdom in the future, both at a bilateral level and within the framework of the EU.”
Neither the Spanish nor the British government would confirm whether or not the future of Gibraltar had been discussed during the meeting, following recent comments by Foreign Minister José Manuel Garcia-Margallo.
He has expressed the view that Brexit would give Spain an “opportunity”, which has not existed since 1713, to advance its proposal to joint sovereignty with the UK over Gibraltar. Last week the Spanish daily
El Pais said that both countries were already working on an agreement to guarantee reciprocal health care after Brexit for the approximately 300,000 Britons, many of them pensioners, residing in Spain and the 200,000 Spaniards believed to be living in Great Britain.