Madrid, October 30 (RHC-EFE) -- King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia Wednesday welcomed Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at the start of her official visit to Spain, expected to center on economic cooperation.

The Spanish royal couple greeted Bachelet at the Pardo Palace in Madrid, the official residence for visiting heads of State, in a ceremony at which the national anthems of both countries were played and 21 salvoes of honor were fired.

Bachelet was expected to meet later with Felipe VI at the Zarzuela palace, where she was also to have lunch with the royal couple.

Spain is Bachelet's second and last stop of a European tour which included Germany, her first since she was re-elected earlier this year for a second term in office.

She is accompanied by the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz; Economy, Luis Felipe Cespedes; Public Works, Alberto Undurraga; Energy, Maximo Pacheco; Mining, Aurora Williams; and her Chief of Staff, Ximena Rincon.

Bachelet on Wednesday attended a gala dinner in her honor at the Royal Palace. On Thursday, she is expected to meet business representatives, politicians and academics, take part in a joint session of the Congress and the Senate and meet with prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa palace, where several bilateral agreements on security and sports will be signed.