19/09/2008
Buenos Aires Herald - Nota - Argentina - Pág.2
FOREIGN MINISTRY SOURCES
Spanish gov`t: good
relations with Argentina
Official news agency Télam yesterday
reported that a top Spanish government source
said Argentina and Spain still maintain
good bilateral relations. As evidence of
his statement, he mentioned that Spanish
Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez
Zapatero is scheduled to meet with President
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner next
week.
According to Té1am, a top source
from Spain's Foreign Ministry said: "We
deny any connection between President Fernández
de Kirchner's delayed visit to Spain and
alleged unease revolving around the renationalization
of Aerolíneas Argentinas." On
Wednesday, Spanish Ambassador to Argentina
Rafael Estrella said that after the renationalization
of Aerolíneas Argentinas - taken
over by Argentina's government from the
Spanish consortium Marsans - bilateral relations
would be strained.
"The Spanish government respects the
process agreed by Spanish companies and
the two countries... the government will
not intervene as long as there's room for
dialogue and negotiations," he said
in allusion to Aerolíneas Argentinas.
At present, the Spanish consortium Marsans
runs the struggling airline and its sister
company Austral. The airlines allegedly
run an overwhelming debt of 890 million
dollars, which the Argentine government
refuses to cancel.
"Relations between Argentina and Spain
are very good, talks have never been interrupted,"
Spain's Foreign Ministry told reporters.
"We intend to clarify these misunderstandings...
the reason for President (Cristina Fernández
de Kirchner)'s delay in visiting Spain was
due to an overlap." Fernández
de Kirchner's visit was scheduled for June
but the Argentine government postponed the
trip. Now she is scheduled to meet with
Zapatero in Spain next October, but the
date has not been confirmed yet.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry source added:
"Both leaders (Fernández de
Kirchner and Zapatero) have mutual interests"
(in meeting). Later this month Fernández
de Kirchner and Zapatero will meet during
the United Nations General Assembly in NewYork.
They are slated to discuss a series of bilateral
topics on the agenda.
Estrella met with Cabinet Chief Sergio Massa
to discuss the controversial Aerolíneas
Argentinas' case.
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