Spain 'can repay debt' without ECB

The Spanish economy is "self-sufficient" enough to be able to repay its debt without assistance from the European Central Bank (ECB), the country's deputy minister for trade has said.

Speaking to the BBC's Gavin Hewitt, Jaime Garcia Legaz acknowledged the difficulties the country faced, but said economic conditions were improving.

On Thursday, ECB president Mario Draghi unveiled details of a bond-buying plan aimed at easing the eurozone's debt crisis.

Under the plan, the ECB would agree to buy a potentially unlimited amount of bonds of debt-stricken eurozone members on the condition that these countries made a formal request for bailout funds and stuck to the terms of any deal.