After a meeting in Madrid, lasting half a day longer than planned, they also decided that the extradition being requested by the Spanish judge, Baltasar Garzon - whose extradition warrant led to General Pinochet's arrest in London on October 16, should be able to go ahead.

The decision, however, may be purely academic if the British authorities, as expected, allow the general to fly home in the next few days.

Pinochet: transferred to new clinic

General Pinochet was given bail on Friday by the High Court in London. But it ruled that he must stay under police guard while the House of Lords - the final court of appeal - decides if he has immunity from prosecution.

The BBC's Fergal Keane reports from Santiago on Pinochet's victims and their struggle to come to terms with the past

On Wednesday the High Court ruled that General Pinochet's arrest was unlawful because he was entitled to immunity as a former head of state.

An appeal has been lodged against that decision and a final judgement will be made by the House of Lords next week.

Spain wants UK to recognise its ruling

Socialist MP Juan Pablo Letellier, whose father was killed by the Pinochet regime, says it is important he faces justice

The Spanish prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, is planning to go to London on Monday to discuss the case with his UK counterpart Tony Blair.

Lawyers representing families of those who were killed under the military dictatorship in Chile say the Spanish authorities would be angered if they saw their extradition request ignored and General Pinochet was allowed to fly home.

They said that they hope the decision will encourage the House of Lords to overturn the High Court's decision.

General Pinochet, who has been moved from a clinic to the Grovelands Priory hospital in Southgate, north London, is also pinning his hopes on the bail application.

It is understood that the former dictator, who remains under police guard, was moved to Grovelands because its affords better security than the clinic.

Chile is at loggerheads with Spain and the UK over the Pinochet case and on Thursday night the French Justice Minister, Elisabeth Guigou, dipped her toe into the international row.

She told the French Senate it would be "intolerable" if General Pinochet escaped justice.

Ms Guigou said: "The idea of immunity for someone like General Pinochet, who is responsible for several thousand murders, is unbearable."