Spanish King arrives in Lebanon to inspect UN Troops

Feb 8, 2010, 17:48 GMT

Beirut - Spanish King Juan Carlos arrived Monday in Beirut on a two-day visit to Lebanon during which he will inspect Spanish troops serving with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.

The king is accompanied by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

Juan Carlos will be hosted by President Michel Suleiman at a state dinner held in his honor, later Monday.

The trip by King Juan Carlos comes after the UN Spanish battalion took command of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), from the Italians last month.

According to the Lebanese Central News Agency the king's visit to Lebanon is not a state visit, but a trip to inspect his country's troops in southern Lebanon.

The Spanish king is expected to pay a 3-day state visit to Lebanon along with his wife Queen Sofia in July or ultimately by September, according to the news agency.

UNIFIL currently has 13,000 troops from 29 countries. Italy has the largest contingent with 2,500 soldiers, while Spain contributes 1,100 soldiers.

In June 2007, a UN patrol belonging to the Spanish battalion was targeted by a car bomb blast, killing six Spanish peacekeepers.

The number of UN peacekeepers was increased in 2006, following 33 days of war between Israel and Hezbollah. The main task of the peacekeepers is to monitor a fragile ceasefire at the Lebanese-Israel border.