Spain - US
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has been in Washington this week to attend the National Prayer Breakfast where he was guest speaker
05.02.10 - 14:10 -
The Spanish Prime Minister brought up unemployment, immigration and homosexuality during his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. EFE
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said that "it's not a problem" that President Barack Obama had decided not to attend the EU-US summit set for May in Madrid.
At a meeting with the editorial board of The Washington Post on Thursday, Zapatero said that he understands Obama's need "to leave more space between his visits to Europe," where he journeyed six times during his first year in office. "Obama has an open door in Europe," the Spanish premier told The Post. "There is a very positive attitude. We shouldn't be thinking about what Obama can do for us, but what we can do for Obama". "In this first year of Obama we had a very intensive relationship," Zapatero said.
Zapatero, whose nation currently holds the EU rotating presidency, also - however - talked about the need to renew the trans-Atlantic agenda, signed in 1995 by President Bill Clinton and then-Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González. The Spanish leader said the renewal is needed to prevent Europe and the United States from being displaced from their world leadership roles by emerging powers like China and India.
US media have been pointing out that the lack of a concrete agenda at earlier US-EU summits was one of the things contributing to Obama's decision not to travel to Madrid in May. Earlier Thursday, Zapatero attended the US National Prayer Breakfast as Obama's guest. After that event, and along with Spanish businessmen, Zapatero took part in a lunch and symposium at the US Chamber of Commerce.
The event was closed to the press, but Spanish officials told Efe the prime minister outlined for US business leaders his government's plan to reduce Spain's budget deficit to three per cent of gross domestic product by 2013.
After noting that the United States is the No. 1 investor in Spain, Zapatero expressed his government's wish for "a new wave of (US) investment" in Spain.
In remarks late Thursday to the Atlantic Council, Zapatero paid tribute to the soldiers who have died in Afghanistan and guaranteed that Spain has the determination to remain in that country to "get it afloat" and build a democracy. Zapatero, who was introduced by the US National Security Adviser, Gen. James Jones, noted that a Spanish soldier was killed in Afghanistan in a landmine blast earlier this week.
Spain has around 1,000 troops serving in the South Asian country with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
At the National Prayer Breakfast, Zapatero expressed his commitment to the jobless and the integration of immigrants into society. He spoke in Spanish - "the language in which the God of the Gospels was first prayed to in this land" - before more than 3,000 people, among them first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The U.S. president, who entered the hall just as the event got under way, gave a warm embrace to the Spaniard before seating himself and, when he spoke, he said he was happy to see his "dear friend" Zapatero and sent his "greetings" to Spain.
The Spanish prime minister spoke in favor of freedom and tolerance and condemned the "spurious use of religious faith to justify violence."
He also honored the memory of the victims of terrorism in Spain - where nearly 200 people died in a March 2004 attack by militant Muslims - and in the United States because "together we are defending freedom where it is threatened."
Zapatero dedicated his prayer to reclaiming "freedom for all to live their own lives, to live with a loved one and to establish and care for their family surroundings, deserving respect for that."
And, as he continued, he read a passage from the Bible, specifically Deuteronomy 24:14 and 15.
"Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it."
With that, he urged all those present to work for the integration of immigrants who come to their country to work and for those who cannot be taken in and experience "hunger and misery," like the people of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
Zapatero also took advantage of the moment to proclaim his "most sincere commitment" to the men and women who suffer from lack of employment "in these difficult times."
"There is no task that we as governing officials feel more responsible for, there is no task that gnaws at us more than that of helping the creation of employment," said Zapatero.
In a conversation after the prayer breakfast, Obama expressed to Zapatero his interest in "continuing to develop good relations" between the two countries, the White House said.
Obama expressed his satisfaction with Zapatero's trip to the United States, National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told Efe.
Also, the president said that "he wants to continue developing good relations with Spain, a country with which so many common interests are shared," among them Afghanistan, the fight against terrorism, climate change and the world economy.
