Wendy Morton says joint Ministerial Council could not have come at a more important time

Описание: ​The Minister responsible for Gibraltar at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says the Joint Ministerial Council could not have come at a more important time in the partnership with the UK.

In an editorial on the meetings, Wendy Morton says that now more than ever, there are important issues to discuss to ensure the UK works together with its Overseas Territories.

The Overseas Territories, she adds, are a much-cherished part of the British family with Gibraltar no exception.

Wendy Morton says the fact that Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined the council, shows the importance he puts on the UK's relationship with the Overseas Territories.

The Joint Ministerial Council, she adds, celebrates the special partnership between the UK and the Overseas Territories and is an opportunity to set out the shared priorities and have a dialogue on a number of diverse topics.

The Minister says the UK government remains committed to the partnerships formed, and to working so that the communities flourish as modern, prosperous and strong democracies. The UK Government, she says, takes its responsibilities towards the Overseas Territories extremely seriously: Whether that means defending them from threats, providing aid for essential services, helping them preserve their natural environment, or supporting them in times of crisis - as with COVID-19.

She adds that right now we face huge global challenges, but that we face them together.

Wendy Morton congratulates the Government and the people of Gibraltar on their handling of the pandemic so far.

She says she's proud the UK has stood by the Rock in providing support to its healthcare systems and in maintaining an air bridge to a maximum possible level and highlights how the UK Government has also shown its confidence In Gibraltar by supporting a borrowing facility at Sovereign rates.