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STAFF REPORTER

PALMA
SPAIN'S monarchs gave a morning welcome on Monday to László Sólyom, the president of Hungary, at the Almudaina Palace in Palma.

Sólyom was in Spain for Sunday's celebration of a day dedicated to Hungary at the International Exhibition running in Zaragoza where he presided over a number of official acts and toured the country's fresh water reserves - a show piece of the exhibition.

He was received by the king and queen on the steps of the palace at about 2.10pm yesterday. In May last year, Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofia made a three-day state visit to Hungary during which the king and Sólyom held official meetings. Yesterday's luncheon was the first diary entry of the king and queen's official agenda this week. Tommorow, Don Juan Carlos is to play host at the Marivent Palace west of Palma to the prime minister of Spain, José Lluis Rodriguez Zapatero. It will be the second meeting between the king and the country's head of state this summer.

This coming Friday, the royals will take their leave of Majorca for another year by giving a dinner for the local authorities on the Island. The occasion traditionally marks the end of the summer holidays for the Spanish royal family. The dinner will take place in the Almudaina Palace.