Aznar also spoke of his country's membership in the European Union (EU), which he says is proof that Spain has become an open economy with an eye toward the next century.

He cited his nation's tough transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, and from a closed, centralized economy to a less regulated and more decentralized market.

"We have become an open and optimistic democracy," Aznar said.

Spain will be a major player in the EU, according to the prime minister, as it is creating jobs twice as fast as the European average and has recently embarked on tax reform. It also invests heavily in Latin America and has a healthy trade surplus with the rest of the world.

And, he continued, Spain will be ready to assume more economic and security responsibilities within the EU and NATO.

"The changes we made have been extraordinary," Aznar said. "But we have to continue modifying and improving or country."

"This is not a little task," he said. "But it is a very good ambition."