Tuesday, August 23 2005 09:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jerusalem: India is to hold discussions on bilateral and regional matters with Palestinian Authority (PA), Israel, and Jordan at soon after the implementation of the disengagement plan by the Jewish state.

Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Rajeev Sikri, will arrive in the region later this week on a four-day visit for the talks.

Sikri will be meeting PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and other senior officials on August 27 to discuss issues related to bilateral ties and regional matters, including Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and certain settlements in the West Bank, the Authority's Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Imeag Zuheiri, told sources.

"The talks will contribute to further strengthening of our traditional ties," he said, thanking India for extending a generous aid package of 15 million US$ to the PA.

"The discussions are also likely to include the possible ways of utilizing the aid promised by India during the revising information.

"The two sides will also brief each other on their regional developments, which will also include discussions on Israel's implementation of the disengagement plan", Bacher said.

In what will be the first visit by a senior official to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government came to power in Delhi, Sikri, will be holding extensive talks with Foreign Minister Farouk Kasrawi, Minister for Planning and International cooperation, Ms Suhail Al-Ali, and senior officials in the Foreign Ministry, diplomatic sources in Jordan told sources. "Besides exchanging views on bilateral and regional matters, the talks will deal extensively with new possibilities of economic cooperation and means of realizing them", they said.