Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Monday he was confident that relations between Spain and Venezuela would continue on what he called a cordial and respectful basis, a day after Venezuela held a constitutional referendum.
Spain seeks "the best possible level of warm and respectful relations with Venezuela, something we hope both nations will achieve as quickly as possible," Moratinos told a news conference.
Before Sunday's referendum, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told media last week that Venezuela would expel Spanish companies if conservatives win that nation's elections and repeated demands for an apology from Spain after Spanish King Juan Carlos shouted "Why don't you shut up?" at Chavez during the 17th Ibero-American Summit.
Moratinos said that Chavez's acceptance of the referendum's "no" vote, while the president had been campaigning for a "yes," showed that the South American nation's democratic system was working well.
He said the Spanish government would respect Venezuelan citizens' choice, and congratulated the nation for what he called the nation's "democratic maturity." Source: Xinhua
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