As roported in the last issu, Spain, partly because of hor diff eae in getting into tho Common Markst and becaus» of US "nigzardlinca3s" in the reesntly negotiated aid agremsnt, has boon locking for now teaaine partners, notably the USSR. Now, in open defianes of the US, Franoo is planning a ships-for-sugar dcal with Cuba, worth a ruportcd 210m.
Looking acros~ the Medit-rransan, Franco is turning to Algeria whore his minister of industry reemtly had talks with Bm Bolla before sige ning a commercial agresmsnt,. Spain will buy natural gas from Algeria, which in turn is this month smding a trade mission to Madrid to dis cuss imports from Spain. Franco, shrowdly prepared to follow any policy that will maintain his position, may woll sso himself as the Iberian »> Gaulle. Such a posture would appoal to anti-Amcrican falangist:, big business sedcking an insurance against failures to got into the Common Market, and sven libcraliscrs who sco any move as a step away from tho immobility of the past 20 yuars.
isanwhils the Paris L' xpress reports Ba" Salazar, worricd by the oscowlMadrid negotiations and tho - possibl ons of his fiw remaining allice, is tusting the wind to the loft even we Franco: a recent saditorial in the Diario du Lisbao maintainod that c-cxistm os was porfectly poss= ible betwen China and “Portugal.