JERUSALEM: Israeli President Shimon Peres was on Monday headed to Spain for a four-day visit during which he was to meet with King Juan Carlos to mark 25 years of ties between the two countries, his office said.
During the trip, Peres was to hold talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez on a visit aimed at strengthening and expanding strategic, diplomatic, and economic ties between the two countries.
"The president is expected to discuss with his hosts the dramatic events that have taken place recently in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear threat, their attempts to strengthen terror organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, and to dominate the Middle East," a statement from his office said.
Another goal of the visit is "to strengthen relations between Israel and the European Union and increase cooperation between the two countries," it said.
The Israeli president will be accompanied by a 40-strong delegation of senior business leaders, many of them from security and defence giants such as Israeli Military Industries (IMI), Rafael, Aeronautics and RADcom.
He will also meet leaders of Spain's Jewish community.
Earlier this month, Jimenez made her first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories since being appointed foreign minister in October last year, in a trip to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were first established in January 1986 after centuries of hostility following the publication of a royal order expelling the Jews from Spain in 1492.
The edict of expulsion was formally nullified 500 years later at an official ceremony in March 1992 which was attended by the Spanish king and then Israeli president Haim Herzog.
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