Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos says the United States has asked his country to accept four inmates from the U.S. detention center for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Moratinos said Spain will study the cases before giving its reply. He pledged to assist the United States carry out President Barack Obama's plans to shut down the Guantanamo center by January and said U.S. officials might ask Spain to take additional detainees.
He spoke as Spanish officials met in Madrid with the U.S. special envoy on closing the Guantanamo detention facility, Daniel Fried.
Monday, European Union foreign ministers approved a deal with the United States on helping to resettle freed detainees. The EU ministers said in a joint statement that some EU countries are ready to accept detainees on a case-by-case basis.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also pledged his country will take at least three detainees.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
