Britain’s prime minister was in Madrid on Thursday to discuss what Brexit might mean to the two countries.
Theresa May flew to the Spanish capital to meet with Spain’s acting premier for talks on how Brexit will impact relations between the UK and Spain.
May and acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy were scheduled to have a working lunch at the Palacio de la Moncloa in Madrid.
Items expected to be covered include a dual commitment to protect the rights of Spanish expats in the UK and British expats in Spain. The two leaders spoke on the phone in July during which they both agreed that no Spanish or British citizen should be ‘harmed’ by the Brexit result.
It is also highly likely that the situation of Gibraltar will be raised. From the moment the Brexit decision was announced, Spain was quick to relaunch its proposal for joint sovereignty of the Rock.
Spain asserts that such an arrangement would enable the overseas territory to maintain its access to the EU single market.
The proposal was swiftly rejected by both the Gibraltar and British governments.
It is believed that May will reiterate her government’s stance that Gibraltar’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation.
The Madrid visit is part of a quick tour of several EU countries, including Denmark and the Netherlands, to seek support ahead of official Brexit negotiations after the UK invokes Article 50 in the spring.
