European Council Opens Negotiations With UK on Gibraltar

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Commission will begin negotiations with the United Kingdom on working out an agreement on Gibraltar, whose geography as a British overseas territory and headland on Spain's south coast, prevented it from being included in the 2020 bilateral Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the European Council said on Tuesday.

"The Council today adopted a decision authorising the opening of negotiations for an EU-UK agreement in respect of Gibraltar, as well as the negotiating directives. On this basis, the European Commission can now begin formal negotiations with the United Kingdom in respect of Gibraltar," the statement read.

The talks will be aimed at working out a bilateral deal that would address Gibraltar's economic inclusion and at the same time not jeopardize the issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction, the Council said.