Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero urged the
country's banks to make further efforts to extend credit facilities
to families and companies in the wake of the nation's first
recession in 15 years, the government said in a press release.
Zapatero met Monday with officials of Spain's six largest banks
- Banco Santander SA (STD), Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA
(BBV), Banco Popular SA (POP.MC), La Caixa, Bancaja and Caja
Madrid.
The government last year pledged to guarantee interbank lending
up to EUR100 billion in both 2008 and 2009, and buy up to EUR50
billion in bank assets like mortgage-backed securities to provide
liquidity.
Government Web site: http://www.la-moncloa.es/
-Dow Jones Newswires; enza.tedesco@dowjones.com
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