Jul 23, 2008, 13:26 GMT
Madrid - Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Wednesday denied press reports that Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang had cancelled a visit to Spain because King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero declined to meet with him.
The tiny oil-rich central African country had not requested such meetings, Moratinos said, explaining that no plans had been made for Obiang to visit Spain.
The daily El Pais earlier said that Obiang intended to visit Spain on the occasion of the World Expo held in the northern city of Zaragoza, which will mark a day dedicated to Equatorial Guinea on Friday.
Moratinos said all visitors to the Expo were welcome.
The Zapatero government came under criticism following a 2006 visit to Spain by Obiang, whose regime has been accused of widespread human rights violations.
The government was accused of receiving Obiang out of interest for Equatorial Guinea's oil resources, which have turned the former Spanish colony into one of Africa's biggest oil producers.
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