President on 9 days State visit to UAE, Syria

The President Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil left on a nine-day State visit to the UAE and Syria this evening. She is being accompanied by a high level business delegation and two members of Parliament. The Union Culture Minister Mr.Bharat Singh Solanki is also accompanying the President. In the first leg of her visit, the President will go to Abu Dhabi in the UAE. This is her first State visit to the Gulf region at the invitation of her counterpart in the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the second leg of her tour from the 26th to the 29th, President Patil will visit Syria at the invitation of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. The government will launch an Indian Workers Resource Centre for its expatriates in the UAE during the President's visit.