Spain protested on Friday against reported plans by British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon to visit Gibraltar during celebrations of the 300th anniversary of its seizure by Britain, calling such visit "untimely."

At the end of a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Spain's Principal Deputy Prime Minister Maria Fernandez de la Vega, called"untimely" the planned visit and announced to the press that the Spanish Foreign Ministry will take diplomatic steps soon.

Hoon plans to visit Gibraltar on Wednesday to participate in the ceremony of the 300th anniversary of the British occupation ofthe enclave, located in South Spain.

"Of course, this is a visit we are not going to consider, or that we are not going to term as timely in these moments. I would say it is rather untimely," said the deputy prime minister.

She noted that the relations between Spain and Britain are of "allies and friends." "At any rate" the Foreign Ministry "will take the appropriate steps soon," she said.

Gibraltar has been a contentious issue between Britain and Spain for decades. It was ceded to Britain by Spain under the 1713Treaty of Utrecht, but Madrid has been demanding that the territory be returned.

Relations between Britain and Spain's new Socialist government,in power for just three months, have been repeatedly strained overthe British colony at Spain's southern tip.

In May, London protested against Madrid's decision to deny British cruise ships docking at Gibraltar entry into Spanish ports.Spain later agreed to put a three-month moratorium on the ban, which expires in mid-August.

Spain's new government hopes to boost talks with Britain, as the former Conservative government did, through the so-called Brussels process.

In 2002, the British government said it was in principle in favor of sharing sovereignty with Spain over Gibraltar. Talks stalled when Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to stay British ina 2002 referendum, which Spain called illegal.

Source: Xinhua