LISBON, July 29 (Reuter) - Portugal and Spain announced on Monday they would join forces to defend the interests of their farmers and fishermen within the European Union, and said they hoped to extend this alliance to other southern EU countries. Portuguese Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Fernando Gomes da Silva and his Spanish counterpart Loyola de Palacio told a news conference the two countries would form joint commissions to draw up common strategies on agriculture and fisheries. A first meeting was scheduled for November to plan a programme for 1997. "Portugal and Spain have many common interests in these areas," De Palacio said. "We are hoping to incorporate other Mediterranean countries too, such as France and Italy, to raise support and look at issues that affect the south." "Northern EU countries have tended to get together to defend their interests, which has never been a problem, but up till now the south has been slower to do so," said Gomes da Silva. In a joint statement the ministers said th

ey had discussed EU reform of vegetable oils and the wine sector. They also said they were sending a joint letter to EU Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino setting out their common position on sardine stocks. Gomes da Silva declined to outline the contents of the letter but said: "There should not be exaggerated cutbacks in the Portuguese and Spanish fleets...whichare not justified by the information we have about the level of stocks." Last month fisheries ministers from EU countries, including Portugal and Spain, attacked proposals for sharp cuts in fishing fleets to protect dwindling stocks.