Spain reportedly on Bush's
itinerary
for trip to Europe in JuneBy Scott Schonauer, Rota bureau
NAVAL
STATION ROTA, Spain — President Bush plans to make Spain his first stop on a June
trip to Europe.
The date
and itinerary for the president’s visit has not been set, said Natalie Garcia, a
spokeswoman at the White House. But the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported in
Friday’s edition that Bush would arrive in Madrid on June 12.
There are
no plans at this time to visit U.S. troops at military bases in Spain or other locations
in Europe, but some local media reports speculated that Bush might visit Naval Station
Rota, a major strategic airlift base for the U.S. military.
"None
of the details have been established for that," Garcia said.
Naval
station officials said they were unaware Friday of any plans to prep the base for a
presidential visit, Chief Petty Officer Jon McMillan said.
An embassy
official reached in Madrid said he did not know about the visit until he heard it on
Spanish radio.
The White
House announced the trip on Thursday, calling Spain an "important NATO ally and
economic partner."
"The
visit will underscore President Bush’s strong interest in reinforcing the close bonds
of friendship and cooperation between Spain and the United States," the statement
said.
Bush
already met with King Juan Carlos of Spain last month in Washington, where they spoke
about U.S.-Spanish cooperation in NATO.
It was the
first time the two leaders have met since Bush took office.
Secretary
of State Colin Powell and Spain’s foreign minister, Josep Pique, also met in March to
reaffirm an accord reached with Spain by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
The
agreement, signed in Madrid in January, was to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation
in countering terrorism.
It also
allowed the U.S. military to continue using Spanish bases, specifically Naval Station
Rota, near Cadiz, and Morón Air Base, near Seville.
Bush’s
trip to Europe will be his first as president.
The White
House previously announced that Bush would visit Poland and Brussels, Belgium, as part of
a trip to the June 14-15 European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden.
Garcia said
Bush’s itinerary should be finalized in a couple of weeks.
Bush has
visited military troops in the United States, but not overseas.
Absentee
voters, many of them servicemembers overseas, helped Bush defeat former Vice President Al
Gore during last year’s election.
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