20 April 2005

MADRID- Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said his government is working in every sphere in order to achieve 'the best relations' with the United States.

Washington-Madrid relations have been poor since Zapatero, in one of his first acts after taking office a year ago, pulled  Spanish troops out of Iraq.

His conservative predecessor, Jose Maria Aznar, had sent to Spanish troops to support the US invasion.

Zapatero made his comments at an event in Madrid organized by the US Chamber of Commerce.

The Socialist premier also spoke in favour of increasing mutual investment and defended his government's economic policies.

The political relationship between two "mature, serious, consolidated, creative, open, modern and tolerant" democracies should contribute to making their economic ties a strategic objective, he added.

Zapatero said one of his objectives was to improve relations with a country that contributes "so much to the process of growth, of periodic renovation of the great collective values that predominate in the world order".

"Without demands as to time or place or scenes or dinners, we are working in every sphere of responsibility to ensure that happens," he added.

The reference to "dinner" was taken as an allusion to speculations about when he might meet US President George W Bush, who telephoned Spain to personally express his disappointment with the troop withdrawal last year.

After stressing that experts differ in their opinions about political relations between Spain and United States, Zapatero said he was confident the goal of a good relationship would become a reality.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news