New Delhi [India], November 19 (ANI): Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to Tanzania and Kenya from November 20-23.

A 30-member business delegation from India will accompany the MoS for the visit.

The MoS will first visit Zanzibar, where he is expected to call on the country's president, Hussein Ali Mwinyi and also hold discussions with other ministers. He will also visit the campus of IIT Madras, which has been set up in Zanzibar, as per an official release.

Muraleedharan will then travel to Dar-es-Salaam for bilateral discussions with the Tanzanian leadership.

He will also chair a business meeting with his Tanzanian counterpart that will bring together the Indian business delegation with their Tanzanian counterparts with the objective of increasing bilateral trade and investment flows between the two countries.

The MoS will also interact with the Indian community in Dar-es-Salaam.

Muraleedharan will visit Kenya from November 22-23. During the visit, the MoS will call on the top leadership of the country and also co-chair an India-Kenya Business Meet being organised in association with the Kenyan government.

He is also expected to meet several ministers and other functionaries of the Kenyan government. The MoS will pay a visit to the University of Nairobi and also interact with the Indian diaspora based in Kenya. MoS will also inaugurate an exhibition on the role of the Indian soldiers in East Africa during World War I, as per the official release.

The MoS's visit to Tanzania and Kenya is expected to further strengthen India's strong bilateral relations with these countries.

Muraleedharan recently visited Japan, held productive discussions with the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iwao Horii, on various aspects of the bilateral partnership.

The MoS arrived in Japan on November 8 and concluded his visit on November 10.

According to an official release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Muraleedharan also met with Taku Ishii, Parliamentary Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, with the two leaders exchanging views on topics of mutual interest. (ANI)