Thursday, April 21, 2005

ONLY WHEN HE LEAVES POWER, I'm afraid:
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.

[...]

"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.