Updated

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says Gibraltar's status can only be changed by the territory's people and U.K. citizens, as the enclave becomes an issue in Brexit negotiations.

Johnson said Monday that Gibraltar's sovereignty "is not going to change and cannot conceivably change without the express support and consent of the people of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom."

He spoke in Luxembourg where EU foreign ministers are meeting. Britain's departure from the European Union, likely in 2019, is not on the agenda.

Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis told Sunday's El Pais newspaper that Madrid insists it should get a veto over any agreements regarding the strategic enclave on Spain's southern tip, as Britain prepares to leave.