SPAIN: Spanish Prime Minister Mr José Maria Aznar tried to ease friction with Morocco yesterday over a disputed island, saying Madrid was not seeking to foment tensions - but he reiterated his rejection of a Moroccan presence on the tiny territory.
Spain did not accept a fait accompli, but neither was it interested in continued tensions "that are in no-one's interest", he said.
"As I said from the outset, we want to return to the pre-July 11th status quo," Mr Aznar stressed, referring to the date the crisis erupted. A Spanish dawn commando raid on Wednesday ejected six Moroccan soldiers from the uninhabited islet after they landed last week, apparently to establish an observation post against terrorism and refugee smuggling.
Despite international pressure to end the row over the island just off Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Spain and Morocco appeared no nearer a solution yesterday.
Libya's Foreign Minister Mr Abdel Rahman Shalgham began diplomatic efforts in Spain and Morocco over the island, known as Perejil in Spain and Leila in Morocco, and claimed by both.
Spain offered to withdraw its soldiers from the island - less than 200 metres from the Moroccan coast near Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta - if Rabat pledged to never again send troops there.
But Morocco has said talks with Madrid can only begin once the Spanish troops had left the 33-acre rocky outcrop. Rabat wrote on Wednesday to the United Nations Security Council demanding immediate Spanish withdrawal as a precondition for renewed Spanish-Moroccan talks to restore co-operation.
But Spanish Foreign Minister Ms Ana Palacio said Madrid wanted guarantees from Rabat before it withdrew. "There should be a serious status quo, with guarantees, that is to say that if Spain abandons the islet, the Moroccans should never return," she said.
Defence Minister Mr Federico Trillo said 75 Spanish legionnaires were stationed on the island and the warships dispatched to the area would stay there as long as necessary. The status of Perejil/Leila has been ambiguous since Madrid's protectorate over nearby parts of Morocco ended in 1956.
Madrid maintains there is an agreement that neither side occupy the island. But Rabat insists ownership has never been settled.
On Wednesday, Moroccan Foreign Minister Mr Mohamed Benaissa claimed Madrid had sent in troops despite a deal struck on Tuesday, with guarantees from the US and two European countries.
He said the deal provided for conditional withdrawal of the Moroccan soldiers in return for guarantees that Spain would "never set foot on the island". But Ms Palacio denied yesterday there had ever been a deal.
The row is causing tensions within the EU, which called yesterday for dialogue to solve the dispute.