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| UK 'reviewing' Gibraltar navy options following Spanish incursion | UK 'reviewing' Gibraltar navy options following Spanish incursion |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Britain is reviewing its navy options in Gibraltar after an illegal incursion into its territorial waters on Monday, a Foreign Office minister has said. | |
| Mark Simmonds told the Commons a Spanish state vessel, the RV Romon Margalef, was accompanied across the border by three Guardia Civil boats. | Mark Simmonds told the Commons a Spanish state vessel, the RV Romon Margalef, was accompanied across the border by three Guardia Civil boats. |
| The vessel failed to leave Gibraltan waters for 22 hours despite requests, and was challenged by the Royal Navy. | |
| Spain's ambassador to the UK was called to the Foreign Office to explain. | Spain's ambassador to the UK was called to the Foreign Office to explain. |
| Mr Simmonds said the Spanish vessel had come within 250 metres of the entrance to Gibraltar Harbour. | Mr Simmonds said the Spanish vessel had come within 250 metres of the entrance to Gibraltar Harbour. |
| During the incident, the RV Ramon Margalef said it had been "carrying out oceanographic works" that were "of the European Community interest". | During the incident, the RV Ramon Margalef said it had been "carrying out oceanographic works" that were "of the European Community interest". |
| 'Nothing off table' | |
| On Wednesday, Mr Simmonds was called to the Commons to answer an urgent question on Gibraltar by Conservative MP Bob Neill. | |
| Mr Simmonds said an escalation of the incident was "in nobody's interests", and that it was a "political solution that is required to [end] this dispute". | |
| However, he added: "Of course, nothing is taken off the table. We constantly review the naval presence in and around Gibraltar and certainly we are doing so now." | |
| According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the waters around Gibraltar are indisputably British territorial waters. | |
| But Spain disputes UK sovereignty over Gibraltar, a limestone outcrop known as the Rock near the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, which has been ruled by Britain since 1713. | |
| Mr Simmonds said the UK stood "ready to do whatever is required to protect Gibraltar's sovereignty, economy and security". | |
| "We believe it is in the interests of Spain, Gibraltar and Britain to avoid incidents such as this which damage the prospects for establishing dialogue and co-operation," he said. |