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Forum Olivença Manifesto Portugal OlivencaOnline Imigrantes 09 November 2002 Forum Olivença Congratulates Gibraltar - Sends Letter to Peter Caruana Following the result of the Referendum question:"Do you approve of the principle that Britain and Spain should share sovereignty over Gibraltar?" on 7 November 2002, the Olivença Forum has sent a letter to Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, to congratulate him, "on the great turnout by the population of the Rock", and the "clear, unquestionable way" the people of Gibraltar have rejected the proposed co-sovereignty negotiations between the United Kingdom and Spain. Also in the letter, the Forum Olivença take the opportunity to thank the Chief Minister for the reference about Olivença that he made on the BBC programme "Newsnight", last April, in which he defended Portugal's right to claim that territory. Distinguishing "the historic and legal differences between the two situations", this association, "has denounced the intolerable incoherence and hypocrisy by Spain that alleges territorial integrity when it comes to Gibraltar, but continues to violate Portuguese territorial integrity in its illegal occupation of Olivença". * Forum Olivença Letter to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana Your Excellency, The Chief Minister of Gibraltar The Forum Olivença would like to congratulate you on the great turnout by the population of Gibraltar, and the result of the Referendum question:"Do you approve of the principle that Britain and Spain should share sovereignty over Gibraltar?" on 7 November 2002, in which the people of Gibraltar have rejected in a clear and unquestionable way the proposed co-sovereignty negotiations between the United Kingdom and Spain. The Forum Olivença would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Chief Minister for the reference about Olivença that you made on the BBC programme "Newsnight", last April. The position of the Spanish government shows an intolerable incoherence:it defends Spain's territorial integrity in relation to Gibraltar, when under International Law the Rock belongs to the United Kingdom. Uses again the same principle of territorial integrity with regard to Ceuta and Melilla, while Morocco possesses sound arguments to claim these territories. But forgets that by continuing to occupy Olivença, the Spanish government violates the territorial integrity of Portugal. This Spanish hypocrisy is unnaceptable All together, we must denounce these scandalous contradictions by the Spanish government. Although from a legal point of view there are some differences between the Olivença and Gibraltar situations, based on International Law and on History, we have to affirm our rights and defend our legitimate interests. Gibraltar is a territory that belongs to the United Kingdom and Olivença is Portuguese territory!