Spain apologized on Monday for its role in the delay of Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane earlier this month during an international search for US fugitive Edward Snowden.

Bolivia has accused Spain, France, Portugal and Italy of closing their skies to Morales' plane, which was then diverted to Vienna, Austria. The plane was searched at the airport on July 3 after authorities were told the plane was taking the former US spy agency contractor from Moscow to Bolivia.

"We recognize publicly that perhaps the procedures used in the Vienna airport by our representative were not the most effective," Angel Vazquez, Spain's ambassador to Bolivia, told journalists after taking the apology letter to Bolivia's Foreign Ministry.

"We regret this fact. ... The procedure was not appropriate and bothered the president (Morales), putting him in a difficult situation," Vazquez said. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said last week that the country was ready to apologize to Bolivia for inconveniencing Morales, but denied it had closed its airspace to his flight.

Spain is keen to maintain its ties to South America, and has renewed efforts to nurture relationships with Latin America after expropriations last year by Bolivia hit Spanish companies.

- Reuters in LA PAZ, Bolivia

(China Daily 07/17/2013 page10)