The President of India Pranab Mukherjee is slated to leave on October 2 for official visits to Belgium and Turkey. He will be in Belgium from October 2 to 5 and in Turkey from October 5 to 7.

In Turkey there will be discussions for increasing the number of flights between the two countries. A part of the Turkish forces will stay back in Afghanistan after the slated draw down of NATO forces in 2014. India and Turkey will also discuss the transformation decade post 2014.

President Mukherjee is leading a high level delegation comprising of the Union Shipping Minister GK Vasan, Members of Parliament, Chairman, University Grants Commission, Prof Ved Prakash, Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi, Prof Dinesh Singh, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof SK Soporoy and Vice Chancellor, University of Hyderabad, Prof Ramakrishna Ramaswamy among others.

It would be the first visit by an Indian President to Belgium.

There are about 18,000 Indians in Belgium.

In Belgium, President Mukherjee will meet King Philippe who will host a banquet in his honour.

On October 4, President Mukherjee and King Philippe will jointly inaugurate ‘Europalia-India 2013-14’, in which India is a partner country. This mega EU event will take place concurrently in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Belgium is India’s second largest trading partner in the European Union. India-Belgium bilateral trade touched $ 70.5 billion a year ago. Next month King Philippe’s sister Princess Astrid is scheduled to lead an economic mission to India.

Belgium has expressed its support for India’s candidature for a permanent member of UN Security Council. Belgium has advanced technology in nuclear energy.

In Turkey, President Mukherjee will be accorded with honourary doctorate by the Istanbul University. At Ankara he will meet the Turkish President Abdullah Gul who will host a banquet in his honour

India-Turkey bilateral trade touched $ 7.25 billion in 2011. There are about 200 Indian nationals in Turkey.