Britain and Spain said they have held their first informal Brexit-related talks this week in Madrid touching on how the UK’s departure from the European Union could apply to Gibraltar.

The EU’s guidelines on negotiations for Britain’s future relationship with the bloc granted Spain veto rights over the issue of Gibraltar, the tiny outcrop at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula that London has controlled for three centuries against Madrid’s wishes.

How Gibraltar voted in the EU referendum
(PA Graphics)

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that high-ranking officials from the ministry received a British delegation on Thursday.

The Foreign Office said the “informal meeting” was “productive” and that Gibraltar authorities had been involved in setting it up and were briefed on it.

It added Britain is committed to defending Gibraltar’s priorities.