President Patil to visit UAE, Syria

NEW DELHI - India will seek to boast its ties with the Gulf region during President Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s nine-day visit to the UAE and Syria from Sunday.

President Patil will visit Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE, and Damascus and Aleppo in Syria.
Patil is visiting the UAE at the invitation of its President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Accompanied by a business delegation, President Patil would address captains of industry in the UAE.

The President will launch an Indian Workers” Resource Centre during her visit, which is designed to provide an 24-hour help line and counselling services to distressed workers.

In addition, the President will inaugurate the premises of the Indian Islamic Centre in Abu Dhabi.

President Patil will also address students and faculty of the Dubai International Academic City in Dubai where several Indian educational institutions have their branches.

The President will also interact with students of the Abu Dhabi Indian School in Abu Dhabi during her visit.

The Gulf country has emerged as the top destination for India’s exports with 13.41 percent share of country’s total export in 2009-10.

During the second leg of her tour, President Patil will visit Syria from November 26 to 29 at the invitation of President Bashar Al Assad.

President Patil”s visit to Syria will provide the opportunity to carry forward our dialogue and engagement with the Syrian President and the leadership of Syria in all areas.

Discussions on bilateral issues - political, economic and cultural are expected to take place during President Patil’s visit.

Both sides will also explore investment opportunities in each other’s country. On the regional and international front, Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) and Syria”s relations with its neighbours will be important segment of President’s discussions. (ANI)