The Kings, received in Andorra by the highest authorities

The highest Andorran authorities have received kings Philip and Letizia this Thursday at noon, of official visit to the Principality, where a Spanish head of state is received for the first time.

The first to greet at the door of the Casa de la Vall –traditional seat of Parliament– have been the Episcopal Co-Prince and Bishop of Urgell, Joan Enric Vives, and the representative of the French co-prince –Emmanuel Macron–, Patrick Strozda, as heads of state they are.

Afterwards, they greeted the Head of Government, Xavier Espot, and the Síndic General –President of Parliament–, Roser Suñé, in the Plaza de Consell General, and the anthems of Spain and Andorra have been performed, in addition to presenting individual delegations.

On the Spanish side, they have also been the head of the House of His Majesty the King, Jaume Alfonsin Alfonso; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya; the ambassador in Andorra, Àngel Ros; King’s diplomatic adviser, Alfonso Sanz Portolés, and the Director General of Western, Central and South-Eastern Europe, María Victòria González Román.

The Andorran delegation has completed it the president of the Superior Council of Justice, Enric Casadevall; the president of the Constitutional Court, Josep Delfí; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Ubach; a representative of the consuls –mayors–, Francesc Camp, and the ambassador to Spain, Vicenç Mateu.

After holding one courtesy meeting with the Catalan Ombudsman, the two-day agenda of the Kings must begin with one greetings to the chairmen of the parliamentary groups and a visit to the Casa de la Vall.

Then they will move to Municipality of Andorra la Vella, where they will be received by the Consul General — Mayor–, Conxita Marsol, and the Consul Minor – Deputy Mayor–, David Astrié.

First official visit

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The Kings begin a two-day state visit to Andorra this Thursday, The first of an official nature starring a Spanish monarch in the Pyrenees despite the historical ties that have united the two countries for several centuries. It is in addition to the first level visit that Felipe and Letizia have been doing since November 2019, when they were in Cuba, as the pandemic significantly reduced their trips abroad and forced them to cancel some they had scheduled, such as in the United States.

Although the small Iberian country is more than seven centuries old, no Spanish king has officially visited it. Spain established formal diplomatic relations with the principality in 1993 when it was recognized by the United Nations.