Pranab Mukherjee to embark on a six-day trip to Belgium, Turkey

NEW DELHI: Education will be focus of the President Pranab Mukherjee's six-day state visit to Belgium and Turkey starting tomorrow.

"On both these visits, the President would be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials and senior representatives of our educational and academic institutions," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The President is being accompanied by UGC Chairman Ved Prakash, Vice-Chancellors of Delhi University Dinesh Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru University Sudhir Kumar Sopory and Hyderabad University VC Ramakrishna Ramaswamy.

Mukherjee, will pay a visit to Belgium from October 2-5 at the invitation of the King Philippe. It would be the first visit by an Indian President to Belgium.

In Belgium, Mukherjee would inaugurate jointly with King Philippe the 'Europalia-India 2013-14'--a cultural extravaganza showcasing India.

After Belgium, the President will visit Turkey from October 5-7 at the invitation of the President of Turkey.

It would be the third visit by an Indian President to Turkey after the visits by the President of India in 1993 and 1998.

India and Turkey share common interest in ensuring peace and political continuinity in Afghanistan and Central Asia.

"India and Turkey share a lot of common interests in ensuring that there is peace, there is stablity and political continuity and the environment for progress and development.

"...it is a scope for India and Turkey to work together particularly in the private sector where Turkish companies are big in infrastructure globally. We are welcoming their participation in India," Press Secretary to the President Venu Rajamony told reporters here.

Minister of for Shipping G K Vasan and a group of MPs including Priya Dutt, Deepender Singh Hooda, Zafar Ali Naqvi, Baishnab Charan Parida and Prabhakar Kore would also be travelling with the President.