Mariano Rajoy

Spanish writer Javier Marias, whose work has been translated into more than 40 languages in nearly 60 countries, died on Sept. 11 in Madrid at the age of 70 after suffering from pneumonia, his publisher said.

Since Spain does not recognize the so-called Kosovo, there will be no symbols of the so-called Kosovo on the Summit.
As it was announced, Sanchez will travel to Ljubljana for a meeting of European Union leaders ahead of the summit to be held with representatives of the Western Balkans.

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and opposition leader Pablo Casado of the Popular Party (PP) have agreed to open up a permanent communication channel on the issue of Catalonia, where the independence drive has deeply divided the region.

The new prime minister will be the leader of the Socialists, Pedro Sanchez.

International media said that the reason for the vote was last week's verdict in a corruption case involving some former members of Rajoy's conservative People's Party.

180 MPs voted to oust Rajoy on Friday, with 169 against, and one abstained.

MADRID (Reuters) - Socialist Pedro Sanchez took over as Spain's prime minister on Friday, after outgoing leader Mariano Rajoy lost a parliamentary confidence vote triggered by a long-running corruption trial involving members of his center-right party.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was threatened with no-confidence motions and demands for a snap election on May 25 over a graft trial involving members of his party in which a judge cast doubt on his testimony.

Spain does not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo.

"It was clear from the beginning that Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy does not want to attend due to Spain's position on Kosovo's status," Tanjug reported on Tuesday, citing a senior EU official.

A lower ranked diplomatic officials will still represent Spain at the summit, it has been announced in Brussels.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will come for a visit in Bulgaria. However, he will not attend the EU-Western Balkans summit on 17 May, BNT reported. Rajoy will be on the informal gathering of the European Council tomorrow, but will not remain for the central forum.

However, he has lost "the Balkan War", writes Spanish website El Confidencial.

The Spanish government has made an effort to prevent Kosovo from being treated as a state at the upcoming EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia.

All 28 EU Member States have agreed on the text of the final declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit to be held in Sofia on 17 May, BNR said, quoting Bulgarian EU Presidency Minister Lilyana Pavlova. In Brussels, she stressed that there is still room for any country to confirm its participation in the forum.