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the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce and gave an interview to the
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation following a fairly
well-attended press conference.
3.
The meeting which I had with Bossano and his Ministers was
predictably dominated by Bossano. The subjects of discussion
were also predictable with the Brussels process and the
Airport Agreement coming at the top of the agenda. The
discussion was wide ranging, friendly and inconclusive.
4.
The only moment during my trip when any serious business
was discussed was my half hour tête-à-tête with the Chief
Minister. We discussed his plan to entice £20 million of
investment into Gibraltar by offering residence to 2000 Hong
Kong Chinese. I said to him that we could not accept a scheme
that might breach the commitment we had given the House on
numbers. He confessed to me frankly that he could not see
way forward and asked me to take advice from the Home Office.
I agreed to do so. I stressed to him that we were genuinely
worried about tobacco smuggling and the problem being created
by GBC broadcasting into Spain outside the ITU regulations.
told him that we would raise the border fence with the
Spaniards at the next coordinators meeting. He saw no reason
to discuss it with them, but accepted with fair grace our view
that Spain does have some standing in the matter. He would be
content with its removal. He asked me to lobby on Gibraltar's
behalf on a planning difficulty they have with Calpe House. I
I
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