Madrid, Feb 2 (EFE).- Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo on Thursday offered to open with the countries of Latin America a new relationship that will be "on an equal footing and more balanced."
Garcia-Margallo expressed the desire of the Spanish government to Latin American ambassadors at a meeting in Madrid, the foreign ministry said in a communique.
The minister guaranteed the envoys that Madrid is willing to maintain development aid to the region as "one of the fundamental lines of Spanish policy."
"Spain wants to establish a new relationship with the countries of Latin America, on an equal footing, more balanced and based on shared interests and the rich variety of ties that bind us to the region, with the aim of together gaining greater prominence on the international scene," the foreign minister said.
Attending the meeting were representatives from all the countries of Latin America, except for Panama due to technical problems, according to what foreign ministry officials told Efe.
Garcia-Margallo placed special emphasis on the "priority place" that Latin America occupies in the foreign policy of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government.
He emphasized "the great dynamism of the region, its good performance in the face of the (economic) crisis and its growing weight on the international scene."
The minister relayed the government's willingness to foster "through a new diplomacy" the investments of Spanish companies and trans-Atlantic trade in such a way that all parties benefit and "more prosperous and more united societies" may be built, the communique said.
He also explained the preparations for the Ibero-American Summit that will be held in Cadiz at the end of the year within the context of the bicentennial of Spain's 1812 constitution.
Garcia-Margallo and the ambassadors agreed on "the importance of the common linguistic and cultural heritage as an instrument to boost the role of the Spanish-speaking community in the world."
