Verhofstadt attends Madrid funeral

24 March 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Prince Philip, a member of the country’s royal family, were among world leaders who attended Wednesday’s funeral for the victims of the 11 March bomb attacks in Madrid.

Verhofstadt was among an estimated 1,500 mourners at the 90-minute funeral service, which took place at Madrid’s Almudena cathedral amid incredibly strict security controls.

Other world leaders at the ceremony included UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, all of whom met with Spain’s newly elected Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero before the funeral began.

Zapatero also had talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Polish Prime Minister Lezek Miller.

Most of the European leaders present in Madrid on Wednesday will meet again in Brussels on Thursday when they arrive for an EU summit meeting that is set to be dominated by the question of terrorism.

Subject: Belgian news