Pretoria - Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana Mashabane will return to South Africa on Sunday after concluding a working visit in India.
Accompanied by the High Commissioner to India, Francis Moloi, the minister met with various officials during her three-day visit.
On Saturday she paid a courtesy call on Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian Congress Party.
Earlier she met her counterpart, Minister SM Krishna as well as the Commerce Minister Anand Sharma as well as members of the business community as part of strengthening the economic diplomacy aspects of foreign relations.
South Africa and India share strong historical and political ties and are also members of the India - Brazil - South Africa (IBSA) trilateral partnership and often share similar views on the multilateral front as countries of the South.
During the visit the minister indicated that President Zuma was expected to pay a state visit in 2010. The state visit is likely to be preceded by the Joint Ministerial Commission between India and South Africa.
On the margins of the working visit, Nkoana Mashabane also addressed the Heads of Mission Regional Conference of the Middle-East and Asia consisting of South African Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to the region.
