President of Spain to visit the White house

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
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For Immediate Release September 18, 2009

Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of President Zapatero of Spain to the White House

President Obama will welcome President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain to the White House on Tuesday, October 13. Spain and the United States enjoy strong bilateral relations and partner together around the world to promote peace, and prosperity. Spain, a NATO ally and holder of the EU Presidency in the first half of 2010, is a strong contributor to the NATO mission in Afghanistan as we fight together against Al Qaeda and its extremist allies. The President looks forward to consulting with President Zapatero on a broad range of strategic issues of mutual concern, including implementing our shared strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, working together to promote the global economic recovery and food security, and advancing our goals with regard to Iran, Middle East peace efforts, and climate change.
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Going down memory lane:

And remember when John McCain thought we were at war with Spain? You know when McCain mixed up President of Spain with Latin America and Mexico?:

"Would you be willing to meet with the head of our government, Mr. Zapatero?" the questioner asked, in an exchange now being reported by several Spanish outlets.

McCain proceeded to launch into what appeared to be a boilerplate declaration about Mexico and Latin America -- but not Spain -- pressing the need to stand up to world leaders who want to harm America.

"I will meet with those leaders who are our friends and who want to work with us cooperatively," according to one translation. The reporter repeated the question two more times, apparently trying to clarify, but McCain referred again to Latin America.

Finally, the questioner said, "Okay, but I'm talking about Europe - the president of Spain, would you meet with him?" The Senator offered only a slight variance to his initial comment. "I will reunite with any leader that has the same principles and philosophy that we do: human rights, democracy, and liberty. And I will confront those that don't [have them]."