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Nigeria, Spain sign three bilateral agreements in Abuja
Jun 23, 2009, 15:46
| | Nigeria and Spain have signed three major bilateral agreements to avoid double taxation, establishment of a bi-national commission and for culture and tourism.
This was the highpoint of the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero’s state visit to Nigeria on Tuesday June 23.
Mr Jose Zapatero, who was received on arrival at Aso Rock Villa by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, immediately inspected the guard of honour mounted by the Brigade of Guards at the Aso Rock Villa.
President Yar’Adua led the Nigerian delegation to the talks held behind closed doors while Prime Minister Zapatero led his country’s delegation.
Spanish Foreign Affair minister, Miguel Marantino signed all three agreements on behalf of his country while the ministers of Finance, Dr Mansur Mukhtar, Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Bello Gada, signed on behalf of Nigeria.
Later at a joint news conference Mr Zapatero expressed his country’s willingness to support Nigeria in its quest for a seat in the United Nation Security Council
He also assured that his country supported legal migration but was committed to stamping out illegal immigration.
The Spanish Prime minister also said his country had provided mosquito nets and vaccines to support Nigeria in the fight against malaria and other diseases
Earlier President Yar’Adua described Prime Minister Zapatero’s visit to Nigeria as critical to strengthening existing relations between the two countries.
The Nigerian leader while responding to a question asked by a Spanish journalist on his position on death sentence, said:
“While the law specifies any punishment for any offence, naturally thus then the law should be obeyed. That is a straightforward issue. Laws determine and specify issues and societies should be governed by rules of law”.
The Spanish Prime Minister and his entourage have since left Nigeria.
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