Spain King to arrive today on 4-day visit

King Juan Carlos-I of Spain will arrive in India on Wednesday on a four-day state visit that is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in a number of areas including sectors like infrastructure, transport, energy and defence.

The King, who is being accompanied by a high-powered ministerial and business delegations, will visit Delhi and Mumbai.

He will receive a ceremonial welcome on October 26 and will have a range of bilateral meetings, including with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on that day. President Pranab Mukherjee will hold a state banquet in his honour, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

Among other meetings scheduled are with Vice-President Hamid Ansari, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. Discussions are expected to be held on bilateral, regional and global issues, including the Eurozone crisis, which is affecting Spain too, the MEA said.

The royal family of Spain has a strong and abiding interest in India. The visit of Carlos-I is expected to carry forward the process of high-level interaction and deepen the relations between the two countries, it said.

Bilateral trade between India and Spain in 2011 was close to US $5 billion, which represents a growth of over 18 per cent over the previous year, according to a statement issued by the MEA. Spanish investment in India is over US$1.15 billion. India's total investment in Spain is valued around Euro 605 million.

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