Mr Rajoy's speech, delivered in New York on Tuesday night, was scripted to refer to Gibraltar as "a colonial anachronism." But, perhaps mindful of the anger the phrase would cause, he delivered a more nuanced speech and omitted the word "colonial."
He did, however, reiterate Spain's claim to the territory – something which Madrid first brought to the UN in 1963.
"Once again, I must place before this Assembly the question of Gibraltar, a British colony, which this Organisation included, in 1963, in the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories awaiting decolonisation.
"This is the only such territory in Europe, and one that affects our own territorial integrity.
"Since that date, the UK has ignored the mandate of the UN General Assembly and the commitment made to Spain in the 1984 Brussels Declaration.
"This anachronism continues to inconvenience the citizens of Gibraltar and the surrounding area." » | Harriet Alexander | Thursday, September 26, 2013
