NEW DELHI, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- The 47-year-old Malaysia-India relationswill be given a fresh impetus with Prime Minister Datuk Seri AbdullahAhmad Badawi's visit here Sunday, which is expected to further deepeneconomic partnerships between both sides.

Underlining the importance New Delhi attaches to the five-day visit is thefact that Abdullah will be accorded treatment that is normally enjoyed bya leader who is making a state visit.

Briefing Malaysian journalists covering the visit today, Malaysian HighCommissioner to India Datuk Zulkifli Abdul Rahman described India as a newemerging economy which offers a myriad of economic opportunities andcooperation potential.

He said ties between Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi were forged in 1957 -- theyear Malaysia gained independence and India opened its mission in KualaLumpur.

Abdullah's packed schedule in New Delhi and the southern city of Bangaloreincludes a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Dr Manmohan Singh, andcalling on President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Congress party chief Sonia Gandhiwill also call on Abdullah.

The prime minister is expected to attend the Malaysia-India Business Forumin both cities, meet several Indian Cabinet ministers and scores ofprominent businessmen.

Another highlight of his visit is the conferment of an honorary doctorateby the Jamia Millia Islamia University, the first to be received byAbdullah from a foreign university.

The weather permitting, Abdullah and his wife, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood,are slated to stop-over in Agra en route to Bangalore on Wednesday tovisit the world famous symbol of love, the Taj Mahal.

Zulkifli said the prime minister would be accompanied on the visit byForeign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Works Minister Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohamed Salleh,Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik,Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Azizand Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri MohamedShariff Omar.

Also in the delegation are MPs, state assemblymen and businessmen.

The High Commissioner said 15 memorandums of understanding would be inkedduring the visit in fields such as information technology, biotechnology,education, agriculture, satellite technology and highway and airportconstruction.

In Bangalore, Abdullah is scheduled to visit several key Indian companies,including Hindustan Aerospace Ltd, the Electronics City which is anindustrial park spread over 330 acres meant for the IT industry, softwarehouse Infosys and biotechnology-based Biocon.

India continues to be Malaysia's largest trading partner in South Asiawith the total trade for 2003 amounting to RM12.1 billion (US$3.21billion).

Exports for this period totalled RM9.63 billion while total importsregistered RM2.6 billion.

For the period of January-September 2004, total trade between Malaysia andIndia stood at RM12.1 billion of which total exports amounted to RM8.26billion.

Among the major exports to India are palm oil (constituting almost 49 percent of Malaysia's total exports), wood, automatic data processingequipment, transistors and valves.

The major imports are food, meat, organic chemicals, iron and steel andfabric.

Investment crossflows from India to Malaysia recorded RM47 million lastyear and RM248.3 million for January to August this year.

Indian investments in Malaysia are concentrated in petroleum products,textiles, leather, food manufacturing, chemicals, rubber and transportequipment.

Zulkifli said there was a huge potential for Malaysian companies toundertake infrastructure projects in India, given that New Delhi plannedto spend up to US$150 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its roads,airports and seaports.

Admitting that bilateral trade was still small, the High Commissioner saidthis was due to the fact that India had just begun to open up its marketand this more reason for Malaysian firms to grab the opportunitiesavailable.

-- BERNAMA