Madrid - Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman on Monday stressed his country's interest in boosting relations with Spain. Spain's European Union presidency in the first half of 2010 and Lebanon's simultaneous membership in the United Nations Security Council offered an additional opportunity for dialogue and cooperation, Suleiman said during a visit to Spanish senate.
Suleiman visited the senate after King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia welcomed him on the first state visit by a Lebanese president to Spain since 1957.
Suleiman then had lunch with the royal couple, as well as Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.
Senate president Javier Rojo praised Suleiman's "enormous efforts" to consolidate political stability in Lebanon.
The United Nations' Alliance of Civilizations project and the Mediterranean Union were key instruments to create a better future, Rojo said.
Suleiman's three-day programme also included talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Tuesday, and a visit on Wednesday to Barcelona, where the Mediterranean Union is to be based.
Suleiman came to Spain after meeting Zapatero in Lebanon, where the Spanish premier visited Spanish UN troops during his Middle Eastern tour on Friday.
Spain has nearly 1,000 soldiers in Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Forces in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL).
