Spanish FM says relations with US to improve

MADRID, Nov 7 (AFP) - Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Sunday in press interviews that his country's relations with the United States, currently under a cloud, were going to improve.
"Two countries that are allies and partners, such as the US and Spain, not only cannot allow themselves to have a bad relationship, but this relationship is going to improve structurally because the challenges facing the two countries will force us to work (together)," he told the El Pais newspaper.
It was now a question, he said, of "finding a political atmosphere to develop bilateral relations in a much more intense way and a relationship where Spain, as a member of the European Union, can make its contribution in several regional theatres."
Moratinos was referring explictly to Latin America and the Arab world. He is planning to intensify "with immediate effect" consultations on the two regions, and in particular Cuba and Venezuela.
"Today, with the exception of Great Britain, among the 25 member states of the EU, there is no state or government that can bring as much to the US as Spain," he told the daily El Mundo.
"The Spanish government wants to have the best relationship with the US, a normal relationship" founded on mutual respect, he said. He predicted that under these conditions the Socialist government elected earlier this year would have more "results" than the previous conservative administration of Jose Maria Aznar had achieved.
The decision by the new govermment to pull Spanish troops out of the US-led coalition in Iraq cast a shadow over US-Spanish relations.

11/07/2004 15:07 GMT - AFP