More Spanish troops to Afghanistan "limited"- PM

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L27632790.htm

MADRID, June 27 (Reuters) - Any Spanish reinforcements to NATO's peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan would be "very limited", Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said in an interview published on Sunday.

Zapatero also said his government, which has shifted Spain's diplomatic allegiances away from the United States and closer toward its European Union partners, would aim to hold a referendum on the new EU constitution by the end of this year or the beginning of 2005.

The Socialist leader made headlines worldwide by ordering the withdrawal of Spanish troops from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq shortly after taking office in April following a train bombing by Muslim extremists in Madrid which killed 191 people.

The U.S. government and the five nation Eurocorps defence force, which is taking part in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, have since called on Spain to do more to strengthen peacekeeping operations there.

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