King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were welcomed at the Croatian President's Office with the highest honours on Wednesday at the start of a visit expected to confirm exceptional ties and give impetus to their further development as Croatia and Spain mark 30 years of diplomatic relations.

The royal couple, the first Spanish monarchs visiting Croatia, was welcomed with the highest state and military honours by the hosts, President Zoran Milanovic and his wife, Sanja Music-Milanovic.

After the hosts and the royal couple heard the national anthems, King Felipe, who is the head of state and armed forces commander-in-chief, saluted the Honorary and Protection Battalion.

After that, King Felipe and President Milanovic began talks, while Music-Milanovic and Queen Letizia began a working meeting on innovative approaches to preventing obesity in children.

Under Spanish law, the royal couple does not grant interviews or speak to the press.

Their Majesties will then bring flowers at the Monument to the Homeland and end the day with a dinner with President Milanovic and the first lady.

On Thursday, President Milanovic and King Felipe will address the Croatian-Spanish IFMIF-DONES forum, where a memorandum of understanding will be signed on a project on which Croatian and Spanish physicists will work.

King Felipe will then meet with Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, while Music-Milanovic and Queen Letizia will visit the Suvag Polyclinic for the Rehabilitation of Listening and Speech.