Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was the ninth world leader welcomed by George W Bush to an official banquet last night to kick off this weekend's G-20 global crisis summit in Washington.

Four and a half years after Spain's Iraq War U-turn torpedoed diplomatic relations between the two allies, this was Mr Zapatero's first ever visit to the White House, and he was greeted by a smiling Mr Bush, who said "Delighted to see you. Thanks for coming," as he shook his hand.

According to a source inside the Spanish delegation, Mr Zapatero promised during last night's banquet to study a package of measures proposed by British PM, Gordon Brown, to kick start demand and boost economic activity.

One of Mr Zapatero's objectives this weekend is to secure Spain's permanent inclusion in the G-20 to ensure that the world's eighth largest economy is guaranteed representation at future meetings of world leaders.

In an interview on Cadena Ser radio before leaving for Washington, the socialist leader said that he was hoping that the political leaders of the countries that constitute 90% of the world's economy and more than two thirds of its population, would show willingness at the summit, "to change things and reform the financial system, but also to tackle the other major issues on the international agenda."

Zapatero hoping to clinch G-20 invite at EU summit
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, November 7, 2008

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will be attending a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels today to prepare for the G-20 summit in Washington next weekend to discuss global reforms for the financial sector.

The Spanish government remains optimistic that Mr Zapatero, who was not included on the original invitation list as Spain is not one of the G-20 nations, will find a way to be present.

It is hoped that Mr Zapatero will be able to use a spare invitation for French president Sarkozy, who qualifies twice as he is currently also EU president.

The Spanish president's campaign to attend the Washington summit has the public backing of a number of other European leaders, including British PM, Gordon Brown and the president of the European Commission, Joao Manuel Barroso.

Zapatero left off global crisis summit list
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, October 23, 2008

George W. Bush has invited the leaders of the G20 group of nations, which does not include Spain, to a summit in Washington next month "to discuss the global economy and financial markets," explained White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, yesterday.

She went on to say that the aim of the meeting will be "to review progress being made to address the current financial crisis, to agree on a common set of principles for reform of the regulatory and institutional regimes for the world's financial sectors."

The G20 group was formed in 1999 and is made up of the Economy ministers and national bank governors from 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the UK and the USA.

The EU is represented by whichever country's leader is president at the time and the governor of the Central European Bank.

Also invited to the summit on November 15th are: the general director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn; the president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick; UN general secretary, Ban Ki Moon; the current president of the Financial Stability Fund, Mario Draghi, who is the governor of the Bank of Italy.

Last Tuesday, president Zapatero said that there were "objective reasons" why Spain, as the world's eighth biggest economy, should be represented at the summit, and this claim is being supported by the president of the European Commission, Joao Manuel Barroso, French and current EU president, Nicolas Sarkozy and British PM, Gordon Brown.

In reply, a second White House spokesperson, Tony Fratto, has said that the US would be happy for Spain's ideas to be aired at the summit, and insists that "there was no conscious decision to exclude Spain," but that the G20 format merely seemed to be the ideal forum.