14 summits to be held during Spain's EU rotating presidency: PM

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Wednesday that during his country's rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) from Jan. 1, 2010 to June 2010, there would be an intense agenda with some 14 summits.

Zapatero said that the summits would be focused on such issues as reinforcing the EU's international role and efforts to control /the EU's public deficit.

According to Zapatero, during Spain's six-month presidency, main priorities would be economic recovery and the reestablishment of the bases for new growth model for the coming ten years.

Zapatero also said it was necessary to gradually suspend the aid to the financial sector and provide fiscal stimulus to curb the public deficit.

Spain is ready to lead a new European sustainable growth strategy by 2020, Zapatero said.

Other priorities include efforts to implement the Lisbon Agreement, as well as the constitution of the European Observer for Violence Against Women, among others, Rodriguez Zapatero said.

These 14 summits will be held multilaterally in the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Union of the Mediterranean, and bilaterally between Spain with the United States, Russia, Canada, Chile, Egypt, Japan, Morocco, Mexico and Pakistan, along with other three summits among the EU itself.

Source: Xinhua