MADRID - Spain's new prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, called for "respect and dialogue" with Morocco on Friday, the eve of his departure on a visit intended to improve strained ties.
Zapatero, a Socialist, has chosen Morocco as his first foreign visit since taking office following an unexpected election victory on March 14, promising close political and economic cooperation and a united front on fighting terrorism.
In an interview published by the daily El Mundo, Zapatero said "given that the economic and democratic development of Morocco is in our interest," it was "fundamental" for Spain to give its north African neighbour economic and commercial help, investment and political cooperation.
Madrid and Rabat are seeking closer ties with both countries bound by a common need to fight terror following last year's Casablanca bombings and the Madrid train blasts three days before Zapatero took office.
The issue of illegal African immigration to Spain via Morocco is likely to feature high on Zapatero's agenda during talks with counterpart Driss Jettou, although both countries have put a summer 2002 territorial spat over a tiny disputed island behind them.
On that occasion, Zapatero's predecessor Jose Maria Aznar asked the United States to mediate in the affair but Zapatero told El Mundo it would be "unthinkable" for him to do the same.
"Spain is a great country which should maintain good relations with Morocco without anybody else's help," he said.
Zapatero added that was the way to ensure "good neighbourliness in tackling major issues such as immigration and terrorism which have acquired greater importance in the light of what we discovered after March 11."
Spanish authorities investigating the bombing of four packed Madrid commuter trains which left 191 people dead and 1,900 injured on March 11 have arrested 14 Moroccan nationals, and four others, suspected of links to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.
Moroccan daily Aujourd'hui le Maroc, with a headline Friday reading "welcome Mr Zapatero," summed up the difficult period relations gone through during Aznar's eight years in office by referring to "the gratuitous suffering inflicted on us by his (Zapatero's) predecessor.
During a whistlestop six-hour visit Zapatero will hold talks with King Mohamed VI as well as Jettou after arriving in Casablanca around midday.
While in Casablanca he will inaugurate a commemorative plaque to the victims of last May's blasts in the city.
Morocco's Assahra daily said the visit would give Zapatero's visit an added "human dimension".
Spanish government sources said Zapatero would travel with Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and secretary of state for immigration, Consuelo Rumi.
Diplomatic sources said one topic not set to feature in the discussions was the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony to which Rabat lays claim, Madrid wanting to see a UN-brokered settlement.
The Spanish north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are also unlikely to be discussed.
"In principle, Ceuta and Melilla are not a problem and aside from occasional affirmations Morocco respects ... Spain on this issue," according to Zapatero.
Following his visit Zapatero will set off to court EU partners following a period of choppy relations under Aznar, who last year derailed attempts to bring into being an EU constitution which his successor wants to see take effect as soon as possible, as early as June.
First stops will be Paris and Berlin before Zapatero heads off to London, Rome, Warsaw and Lisbon.
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