Miguel Angel Moratinos

Moratinos urges Obama to take immediate action on Gaza

Moratinos urges Obama to take immediate action on Gaza Barcelona  - Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Monday urged US president elect Barack Obama to "immediately get involved" in efforts to end the Gaza conflict after being sworn in.

The situation in Gaza should be Obama's first foreign policy priority, advised Moratinos, who helped to negotiate the ceasefire in Gaza.

The former European Union Middle East envoy expressed trust that the new US administration would take "urgent" action on the Gaza Strip.

Spain denies snubbing Equatorial Guinea president

Miguel Angel MoratinosMadrid  - Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Wednesday denied press reports that Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang had cancelled a visit to Spain because King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero declined to meet with him.

The tiny oil-rich central African country had not requested such meetings, Moratinos said, explaining that no plans had been made for Obiang to visit Spain.