Spain, Britain close to deal over Gibraltar, Madrid says, but gives no details

MADRID (Reuters) -Spain is "very close" to signing a deal on the post-Brexit status of the British territory of Gibraltar, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said after meeting his British counterpart David Cameron in Brussels.

"Today we have made progress, because David Cameron has shown a willingness to reach an agreement," Albares told reporters after the meeting.

"We are very, very close," he added in comments broadcast by Spanish state broadcaster TVE.

Albares did not say when both parties could announce a full agreement but he said they were discussing specific details, such as a formula for how both sides would use the airport.

The status of Gibraltar - an enclave at the southern tip of Spain that has been under British rule since the 18th century - and how to police the border with Spain have been points of contention since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the European Union.

Earlier on Tuesday, Albares had said Spain was ready to sign a deal as early as Wednesday.

"Spain wants this agreement to be signed tomorrow," he said before flying to Brussels.

Albares spoke with Cameron on Monday by telephone and both men agreed to meet in Brussels to further discuss the status of Gibraltar there.

He stressed that Spain had several months ago put on the table "a balanced and generous agreement" and said both sides would continue to negotiate from that.

A spokesperson from Britain's foreign office said that in the call with Albares, Cameron underlined the British government's commitment to concluding a UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar "as soon as possible".

The enclave, historically an important military base for Britain due to its position at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, was excluded from the Brexit deal reached between Britain and the EU.

Spain, Britain and the European Union agreed on Dec. 31, 2020, hours before Britain's full exit from the bloc, that Gibraltar would remain part of EU agreements, such as the Schengen Area, and Spain would police the port and the airport, pending a lasting solution.

The European Commission and Spain sent Britain a proposal, including keeping Gibraltar's land border to Spain open in late 2022, and ensuring the free flow of people.

Spain ceded the outpost, famed for its towering rock, to Britain in 1713 but has long called for its return.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro, additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Aislinn Laing and Angus MacSwan)