LOC20:31
17:31 GMT
MADRID, July 1 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in
Madrid Friday on her first official two-day visit to the country with the aim
of boosting bilateral ties in various domains.
Clinton was received upon her arrival to Torrejon Air Force Base in Madrid
by US ambassador to Spain Alan Solomont, and high-profile Spanish and US
figures, and she will embark upon discussing political topics on her agenda
with holding a meeting with her Spanish counterpart Trinidad Jimenez.
It is scheduled for Clinton to meet King Juan Carlos, and Prime Minister
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in order to mull with them a number of issues,
particularly the military intervention in Libya, war in Afghanistan, and the
Middle East upheavels.
Further, discussions will tackle the latest developments in Latin America,
particularly in Cuba and Venezuela, besides thrashing out the ways of boosting
bilateral ties in the domains of trade, economy, and investment.
Clinton's visit is her first to the country since taking over her office in
2009, and within a tour which will take her to Hungary, and Lithuania, while
this is the first visit paid by the top US diplomat to Spain in two years.
Jimenez considered yesterday the visit of her American counterpart as a
proof of deep-rooted ties between the two countries, expressing hope that such
visit will further boost ties, and bring political stances closer, besides
opening up new horizons for cooperation in various political, economic, and
military fields.
This is the third meeting between Clinton and Jimenez as the two ministers
met last January in Washington, and before this in Lisbon on the sidelines of
Nato summit in November 2010. (end)
hnd.aff
KUNA 012031 Jul 11NNNN