SECRETARY-GENERAL'S VISIT TO SPAIN, 11-14 APRIL

Press Release
SG/T/2173

SECRETARY-GENERAL'S VISIT TO SPAIN, 11-14 APRIL

The Secretary-General arrived in Madrid from Geneva in the morning of Sunday, 11 April. That afternoon, he visited the city of Toledo, accompanied by Inocencio Arias, Ambassador of Spain to the United Nations. While in Toledo, the Secretary-General visited the Catholic cathedral, the mosque -- Cristo de la Luz, the synagogue -- Del Transito, and the Sephardic Museum.

In the morning of Monday, 12 April, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan visited the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Madrid, where he met staff of the UNIC and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He praised and thanked the staff for their work, toured their permanent human rights exhibit, and surfed the UNIC's new web site on the Internet.

The Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan then visited the El Greco exhibit at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

At 1 pm, the Secretary-General and his party met with the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar. They reviewed the latest developments related to the Kosovo crisis and exchanged ideas on aspects of the Secretary-General's proposal to bring an end to the suffering in the region. They also discussed Iraq and United Nations reform. At a press conference afterwards, the Prime Minister expressed support for the Secretary-General's initiative on Kosovo (see Press Release SG/SM/6952).

After a private lunch with Mr. Aznar, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in tribute to the 19 Spanish soldiers who died in United Nations peacekeeping operations. He then met with Eduardo Serra, Minister of Defense of Spain. Their discussions focused mainly on Kosovo and Spanish participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

That evening, the International Press Club gave the Secretary-General its Special Award for his efforts towards world peace. This award was given twice before, to King Juan Carlos, and to Algerian journalist Salima Ghezali. The Secretary-General spoke briefly (see Press Release SG/SM/6957).

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Following that ceremony, the Secretary-General addressed the Spanish Diplomatic Academy on the "Struggle for a Lasting Peace" (see Press Release SG/SM/6958).

On Tuesday morning, 13 April, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan visited the Prado Museum. At 11 am, the Secretary-General received Manuel Pimentel Siles, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. They discussed the Kosovo refugee emergency, the Spanish contribution to the International Labour Organization (ILO), and other social issues, including the campaign against child labour and the improvement of the status of women.

At 11:45 a.m., he met Federico Trillo, Speaker of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies. Following their meeting, the Secretary-General joined a working session of the Chamber's Foreign Affairs Committee, which was chaired by Francisco J. Ruperez Rubio. In impromptu remarks, he emphasized the importance of the cooperation between the United Nations and parliamentarians. He also talked about human rights, making reference to his address to the Commission on Human Rights, and his initiative on Kosovo. His presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session, where representatives from each of the seven parliamentary groups made comments on the world's problems.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan were guests at a private luncheon hosted by their Majesties, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia at Palacio de La Zarzuela.

After lunch, Jose Borrell, a candidate of the Spanish Socialist Party, paid a courtesy call at the Secretary-General's hotel. Later in the day, the Secretary-General met with the Foreign Minister of Spain, Abel Matutes, and with the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Fernando Villalonga. He later gave a press conference.

On Wednesday, 14 April, the Secretary-General departed Spain. He went to Brussels to attend a summit of the Council of the European Union at which the situation in Kosovo was discussed.

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