The mayor of the municipality of Elvas, where the Caia border is located, received today with “satisfaction” Spain’s announcement that it will reopen the borders with Portugal and France on 22 June .

“It is positive [the announcement from Spain], given what we are experiencing in economic terms,” ​​said Nuno Mocinha, in statements to the Lusa agency.

Spain will lift restrictions on the entry of people to the borders with Portugal and France as of June 22, as announced today by the Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto.

“In the case of France and Portugal, I want to confirm that as of June 22, restrictions on land mobility will be eliminated,” said the minister, in a meeting with the international press, adding that “in principle, quarantines will be eliminated”.

The Spanish Government thus anticipates the date of opening the borders by one week, after having announced on 25 May that it would lift restrictions on the movement of people, namely foreign tourists, only on 1 July.

However, the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs has already expressed his surprise at the announcement by Spain of a reopening of the common border on 22 June and underlined that whoever decides on the reopening of the Portuguese border “is naturally Portugal”.

“We were surprised by these statements by the minister responsible for Tourism [of Spain], who ‘announces’ the reopening of the border between Portugal and Spain for the next June 22nd,” Augusto Santos Silva told Lusa, stressing that the announcement “no falls within the framework of “close cooperation” between the two Governments for the management of the common border.

“Whoever decides on the opening of the Portuguese border is naturally Portugal and Portugal wants to do it in close coordination with the only State with which it has a land border, Spain,” he added, stating that “clarifications are already being requested from the Government of Spain”.

Considering that “it is always better” to reopen borders on the 22nd, than at the end of the month, as was initially established, the socialist mayor of Elvas, in the district of Portalegre, warned that when taking this step they must also be “safeguarded ”Health security issues.

“Both the municipalities of the border, and the Government of Extremadura (Spain) advocated a faster opening, that is, what could happen on the 15th. Then, it was announced by the Spanish Government that it only predicted at the end of June, well, we stayed there in the middle, it is always better than at the end of the month, so we are happy to receive this news ”, he added.

Spanish authorities closed the borders in mid-March, with the entry into force of the state of emergency, except for residents, cross-border workers and truck drivers, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.