US Vice President Joe Biden today met Spain's King Juan Carlos at the start of a two-day official visit, during which he is due to discuss international and bilateral issues with Spanish leaders, according to dpa. Biden is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Saturday to discuss issues including the Greek bailout plan, the situation in Afghanistan, anti-terrorism policy and the Spanish European Union presidency. Biden is the highest-ranking member of the US administration to visit Spain since Barack Obama became US president in January 2009. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega denied that Biden's visit was meant to compensate for an EU-US summit that was postponed after Obama said he would be unable to attend. Relations between Madrid and Washington have warmed up during Obama's presidency, after cooling under his predecessor George W Bush, who was angered by Zapatero's decision to recall Spanish troops from Iraq in 2004. Biden arrived in Madrid from Brussels, where he visited the European Parliament.
