"Syria is and will remain a friend of Spain and will not be the target of any military action," Aznar told a news conference during a visit to Warsaw.

"I am convinced that the conflict (in Iraq) will not spread to other countries in the Middle East," he added.

He announced that he hoped to talk to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as soon as possible.

"I have already discussed (the situation) with the Syrian president with whom my contacts are very warm, and I am going to talk to him about it this the soonest possible," Aznar said.

As the US-led war on Iraq draws to a close, the administration of US President George W. Bush has turned its attention to Syria, accusing it of state terrorism, developing weapons of mass destruction and giving refuge to officials fleeing neighbouring Iraq.

Top Bush aides have stopped short of threatening military action, but said all options remained on the table and warned Damascus to take stock of the US-led rout of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Spain was one of the strongest backers of Bush's stance on Iraq.

Spanish government sources said Bush on Monday had urged Aznar to pressure Syria not to admit fugitive members of the Iraqi regime.

Syria has strongly denied US allegations it was aiding the remnants of Saddam's regime or developing its own weapons of mass destruction.

SPACE.WIRE