Indian external affairs minister, Jaswant Singh left New Delhi Wednesday for a two-nation visit to Syria and Egypt as part of India's intensified bilateral contacts with Middle East countries, reported the Iranian News Agency (IRNA).
Talks with Egyptian and Syrian officials would focus on the latest developments in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, a ministry spokesman was quoted by the agency as saying.
The spokesman added that talks would also tackle ways of strengthening trade and economy cooperation between India and both Arab countries.
India enjoys a special relationship with Egypt. Both countries have a high-level exchange, said the spokesman, adding that the India-Egypt annual trade turnover is about twenty million dollars.
As for Syria, the spokesman said that bilateral trade reached three billion dollars in 2000 with a number of projects being executed by Indian companies in Damascus -- Albawaba.com
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