“Gibraltar will never ever agree to Joint Sovereignty with Spain or any other nation. We are 100-percent British,” Picardo said.
On June 23 the UK will hold a referendum on whether to stay in the EU or leave the bloc. In case of Brexit, Gibraltar's thriving services-based economy may see a dramatic decrease, as it largely relies on access to the EU single market.
Nevertheless, Fabian Picardo refused to discuss possible losses for the region in case of Brexit.
“Our view is that the case for the UK and with it Gibraltar to remain in the European Union is so strong that we have to spend the next weeks campaigning for everyone to vote to make staying in a reality. We won't be making any calculations for the alternative," he said.
Gibraltar, which enjoys broad autonomous powers, has been controlled by London since 1713, when Spain ceded the region to the UK, but now Madrid is still trying to return it back.
In 1967 and in 2002, Gibraltar held two referendums on its sovereignty, with majority of its 30,000 inhabitants rejecting the proposal to unite with Spain.