Mr Blair and Mr Aznar both backed war on Iraq despite opposition

The Spanish leader, who like Mr Blair defied public opinion to support the war, will visit London on Wednesday.

On Tuesday he will hold talks with French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin.

Mr Aznar shares Mr Blair's aim of reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The Spanish leader spoke to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak by phone on Thursday.

I think there is a lot of sadness about lives lost and the injuries sustained which could have been, at least in part, avoided Simon Hughes Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman

Spain wants to play a high-profile role in efforts to resurrect the Middle East peace process and mend ties with Arab countries now that the combat phase of the war in Iraq seems to be over, the newspaper El Pais said.

Mr Aznar's office said his talks in France would focus on the Middle East.

Discussions with Mr Blair, on the other hand, would centre on Iraq and the country's post-war reconstruction.

'Muddle and mess'

On Sunday, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Simon Hughes insisted the Iraq conflict remained a mistake.

The country had been left in a "muddle and a mess", he said, adding that some bloodshed could have been avoided if the coalition had not pushed ahead without international agreement.

There were so many people against something that seemed to me in principle so obviously right Tony Blair Blair was 'set to quit' over Iraq Aznar sees off Iraq challenge

"Those of us who took the view that we should not have gone in militarily then because it did not have the agreement of the international community still hold that view," he told the BBC1 programme Breakfast with Frost.

"I am not changed in that view.

"But it would have been better to go with the agreement of the (United Nations) Security Council. If it meant waiting eight more weeks it would have been better to do that.

"One has to recognise that it is still a muddle and a mess - every report sends that back.

"We hope and pray that Iraq will soon be restored to the Iraqis without dictatorship, with democracy.

"I think there is a lot of sadness about lives lost and the injuries sustained which could have been, at least in part, avoided."