Zapatero to meet Blair in London

24 May 2004

MADRID – Spanish premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will travel to London next week for talks with British prime minister Tony Blair, officials said Monday.

The two leaders will discuss relations between their countries and a mixture of international issues.

Among these are likely to be their different standpoints on Iraq, terrorism and the European Constitution.

It is to be the latest trip by Zapatero to visit another European leader.

Already he has met with President Jacques Chirac of France, Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, Silvio Berlusconi of Italy and Portuguese leader Jose Manuel Durao Barroso.

Since he became prime minister, Zapatero has already met Blair at a European Union conference in Dublin to welcome the ten new countries on 1 May.

Both are also expected to meet in the Mexican city of Guadalajara for an EU-Latin America summit.

At the London meeting, whose date has not been finalised, both leaders are expected to consider relations between the two countries.

But the controversial subject of the sovereignty of Gibraltar is not expected to be discussed.

Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos discussed the matter in passing with the British Foreign Secretary last week during a brief meeting in London.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news