Spain not offering extra military aid to France for the moment

Spain's Secretary of State for Parliamentary Relations (relaciones con las Cortes) Jose Luis Ayllon on Tuesday night ruled out Spain offering any further military aid in the fight against terrorism in the near future.

Speaking on Spanish National Radio Station (RNE), Ayllon explained that any decision to allocate more troops to directly combat Daesh (the Islamic State) or to areas where they could free up French troops to fight in Syria was clearly stipulated under Spain's "Law for National Defense."

"The government has to make a proposal, which then has to be passes in the 'Cortes' (Parliament) which would have to meet and vote if the proposal was made. However, if the government doesn't make a proposal they won't meet," he said.

Ayllon then detailed that Spain was taking an active part in European and United Nations peacekeeping operations with "2,200 people outside of Spain at the moment in different missions," adding, "the Spanish government has not made any offer of further aid and I don't think it has been proposed in concrete terms."

Ayllon's words came several hours after the French Ambassador to Spain also ruled out asking for aid from Spain in the coming days, due partly to the fact Spain is just 25 days from holding a general election, which could well see a change of government.

Yves Saing-Geours said on Spanish television network Antena 3 that "we know the country is in an election campaign and we (France) should not enter into that campaign."

The Ambassador, who nevertheless said he expected Spain would help France "a lot" in the future, and highlighted the "fluid" relations between both nations.

Saing-Geours added that if France did ask Spain for help ahead of the Dec. 20 votel it "would not be controversial," adding Spain had been "one of the few nations which has directly helped us in Africa." Endit