Thanks to U.S. mediation, Spain and Morocco have reached an agreement on Saturday in their dispute over a tiny island off the north Moroccan coast. Spanish troops stationed on the island have withdrawn to the nearby Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

The Spanish government spokesman, Mariano Rajoy, has confirmed an agreement reached with Morocco over a disputed island more than 180 meters off the Moroccan shore known in Spanish as Perejil and in Arab as Leila.

In a brief communiqué, which expressly thanked U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell for his work in bringing about the accord, Mr. Rajoy said the foreign ministers of Spain and Morocco would meet in Rabat on Monday July 22.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Defense Ministry has confirmed that all 75 Spanish soldiers deployed on the islet since Wednesday have lowered the Spanish flag and withdrawn to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, just six kilometers down the coast. The withdrawal was confirmed in a brief statement issued by the Moroccan foreign ministry which said it had been brought about thanks to contacts between King Mohammed VI and the U.S. government.