The agreement stemmed from an initiative by the incoming Spanish Socialist Workers' Party government in 2004, which proposed a Forum of Dialogue, in which for the first time Gibraltar would take part as an independent third party.
In July 2009, the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos attended talks in Gibraltar, the first Spanish minister to ever make an official visit to the British Overseas Territory.
In Spain it has been reported as "a shameful moment in Spain's history"[4] and in Gibraltar talks were criticised due to Moratinos' role in the controversy of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
An independent appraisal by Peter Gold concluded that "given the fundamental differences in the ultimate objectives of the Forum participants and in particular Spain's sensitivity to Gibraltar's status, the agreements may only prove to be a means of managing the Gibraltar 'problem' rather than resolving it.
"[5] Spain has continued to insist it will only discuss sovereignty with the United Kingdom and not as part of the Tripartite Forum.