A royal delegation from Bahrain headed by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, is expected to leave for New Delhi in April, aiming to boost economic ties between the two countries.

It was initially planned to take place before the end of this year but was put on hold due to the unrest in the country, said Consul General of Bahrain Consulate in Mumbai Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Khaja.

"We have received a letter from the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bahrain that the visit by the Crown Prince has been postponed to April," said Al Khaja.

"The Bahrain delegation will consist of 30-40 businessmen and ministers, who will accompany HRH the Crown Prince. The stability of the situation in Bahrain is an important factor to attract Indian investors, which was one of the reasons to delay the royal visit."

An official invitation from Indian Vice-President M Hamid Ansari to visit New Delhi was presented to HRH the Crown Prince by Indian Ambassador Mohan Kumar, in October.

Al Khaja said the visit is expected to tap into Indian businesses and further boost trade ties between Manama and New Delhi. "There are some key investment agreements that will be signed during the visit."

HRH the Crown Prince's previous visit to India was in March 2007, when he officially inaugurated Bahrain's embassy in New Delhi.

The late Amir HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa visited the country twice. The first time was in 1981 and later he attended the Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in New Delhi held in 1983. – TradeArabia News Service