Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visited the Whitehouse in Washington last week.He and a Spanish delegation spent a day working together and discussing a wide range of issues.Zapatero is the President of the EU this coming year.
Zapatero made commitments to help significantly with the training of security forces in Afghanistan.In fact Spain was thanked by President Obama for the contribution that it has already made in the stabilisation of the country.
Spain is going to accept prisoners from Guantanamo Bay but the number was not disclosed at the meeting.Spain will be involved with the closure of the detention centre when this takes place.
During a very hectic day issues such as the economy and security were discussed.An investment cycle from the US in Spain was discussed as were reciprocal arrangements with Spain investing in the US.President Obama stressed the great potential of such collaboration.Spain in the first quarter of 2009 was the third largest investor in the US.The US was the largest investor in Spain.
Spain has 1300 personel in Afghanistan with the NATO led forces.Zapatero did not say if he intends to deploy police to help train Afghan security forces.Things have not always been cordial between Spain and the US since 2004 when Zapatero withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq.This meeting seemed to be the beginning of a new era of cooperation between the two.
