Brussels, 07/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - King Juan Carlos of Spain was in Brussels on Wednesday at the invitation of the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. The King of Spain was received by President Josep Borrell at the European Parliament where he briefly met several MEPs. He also met CFSP High Commissioner Javier Solana (former Spanish minister for foreign affairs). Juan Carlos first visited the European institutions in 1989 during the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Spanish King made a speech at the European Commission, in which he underlined the importance Spain placed in creating a European area of freedom, security and justice, as well as the maintaining of European solidarity, which requires sufficient resources from the EU.