Al-Assad to visit Spain next week

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad will hold a two -day officials visit to Spain in the beginning of June, official presidential announcement on Thursday said.

Well-informed Syrian sources said that Spanish- Syrian relations will be, following President al-Assad's visit to Madrid by the beginning of June, " more positive," and this will be in light of the position taken by the government of the prime minister Jose Zapatero in withdrawing the Spanish forces from Iraq.

Western diplomatic sources in Damascus described al-Assad s visit to Spain as "political visit in the first place," recalling that it is the first official visit to Mardid by an Arab leader following weeks of the opposition pole of the war in Iraq, by the rule in Spain.

The sources continued that al-Assad s visit to Spain is " merely of a political nature" and explained that this is " what the Syrians want to reflect," especially following the position taken by Zapatero government to withdraw the Spanish forces from Iraq.

The sources considered that relations between Syria and Spain are of " special nature," noting that the visit of the Spanish King Juan Carlos to Syria in 2003, a visit which came only days after the Israeli aggression against Ein al-Saheb town near Damascus, ensures the Spanish desire to build solid relations with Syria. The sources said at the presidential level, al-Assad' s visit will be the second in the course of reciprocated visits. Al-Assad visited Madrid since three years.

The declaration noted President al-Assad is scheduled to hold talks with the Spanish King Juan Carlos as well Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Talks will aim to strengthen bilateral ties and would deal with regional and international issues of joint interest.