Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Friday that the country's economy grew between 3.8 and 3.9 percent this year.

A positive sign was the 700,000 jobs created in 2006, said the prime minister in his annual end-of-year press conference at the Moncloa Palace on Madrid's outskirts.

Zapatero told reporters that Spain's legislature passed 44 laws this year, most of which were socially oriented. He highlighted the Dependency Law, which serves the interests of the disabled and their carers.

"With these reforms, Spain has taken a leading position regarding public freedom and social security," he said.

Zapatero said that his main objectives for 2007 were to deepen Spain's knowledge economy, especially research and development; to support sustainable development; and to stem the trend of climate change.

The government is also seeking to modernize public services.

Source: Xinhua