Washington seeks explanation for Spain's Syria talks

El Pais quoted "diplomatic sources" as saying US ambassador in Madrid Eduardo Aguirre and another high-ranking US diplomat, Shirin Tahir Kheli, had expressed concern about the rare visit by a senior member of a Western government to Syria.

The Spanish government responded by saying it was "opposed to the strategy of isolating Damascus", El Pais reported Saturday.

The United States and its Western allies are attempting to isolate Syria in order to secure the country's full cooperation with the inquiry into the attack in Beirut that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri on February 14, 2005, when Lebanon was still under Syrian influence.

But Madrid believes that "the current circumstances are conducive to an open dialogue [with Damascus], precisely because of the nature of Mr Mouallem, who during his time as ambassador to Washington proved to be a moderate with a strong awareness of the Middle East peace process," the newspaper reported.

Moratinos, a former European Union special representative to the Middle East, "could not miss the opportunity to send a clear message on the stability of the region" to Syria's new foreign minister, El Pais quoted sources as saying.

A Lebanese newspaper mentioned Thursday Washington's concerns about the Spanish minister's visit.

The ministry refused to confirm or deny the reports to AFP, saying only that Moratinos had used a "refuelling stop" to hold a "courtesy" meeting with Mouallem, whom he knew personally.

Moratinos met his Syrian counterpart for an hour and a half at Damascus international airport.

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