Spanish royals to visit White House this month

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit the White House this month, where they will be received by President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, according to a statement from Spain’s government.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the two royals, along with the foreign minister of Spain’s new Socialist government, Josep Borrell, will visit the White House on June 19.

Before heading to Washington, the Spanish delegation will visit New Orleans and San Antonio, two American cities with close historical ties to Spain, which are celebrating the 300th anniversary of their foundations this year.

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Trump’s meeting with Borrell will mark the first White House visit of an official from Spain’s new Socialist government since Spain elected to vote out Mariano Rajoy and install Pedro Sanchez as prime minister last week.

The brief statement from Spain’s government did not provide any details about what Trump will discuss with the delegation upon its arrival to Washington.

Spain’s planned visit to the White House comes weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron visited Washington in a last-ditch effort to save the Iran nuclear agreement. Macron was unsuccessful in his efforts and Trump went forward with announcing the United States’s withdrawal from the deal last month.

The visit also comes amid new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU). The tariffs, announced last month, have rankled key U.S. allies, including several EU members. Spain is part of the EU.

The EU has vowed to take retaliatory measures in response to the hefty tariffs after negotiations to find exemptions stalled for several months.