Spanish forces ousted the Moroccans in a bloodless raid a few days later, but remained there until Washington strong-armed the two sides into an agreement for the islet to go back to its demilitarised status. Spain withdrew its troops from Laila -- Spanish for parsley and known in Morocco as Leila -- on Saturday night, shortly after the deal was announced. On Sunday, the 13-hectare (30-acre) islet off the North African coast had returned to its usual status, uninhabited except for a few grazing goats. In Madrid, government sources said they hoped newly-appointed Foreign Minister Palacio would come back from Rabat with a deal which would signal improved relations.

The list of gripes between Madrid and Rabat is long and there are plenty of subjects both may choose to leave for a later stage. These include fishing rights, the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs trafficking over the Straits of Gibraltar, the status of Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's enclaves on the Moroccan coast, and that of Western Sahara. Spain's first female foreign minister, appointed just under two weeks ago, Palacio has undergone a baptism of fire with this crisis and will be keen to establish more fluid relations with Spain's southern neighbour as quickly as possible. Although their proximity and trade ties mean they are key partners, the dispute is the latest in a long series between the two countries. The current stand-off dates back to October, when Rabat withdrew its ambassador to Madrid.

Spain retaliated last week by recalling its envoy to Morocco. The first stage in normalising relations may well be to return those representatives to their posts. Although the agenda for Monday will probably be limited to diplomatic niceties, Morocco eventually has designs on Ceuta and Melilla, which Spain has consistently said are not up for negotiation. Some political analysts say Spain may well be forced to discuss the issue at a later date, with Morocco willing to play a waiting game, increasing pressure on Ceuta and Melilla.