Mexico foreign minister embarks on 10-day tour of Middle East, India

Mexico's top diplomat will then be in India from March 30-April 1 for meetings with various senior officials, including Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. While there, Ebrard is due to hold talks with players from India's pharmaceutical, technological and aerospace industries in addition to the private sector, his ministry said.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday begins a tour of the Middle East and India lasting 10 days for talks covering a jump in energy prices, investment opportunities and efforts to prevent a potential food crisis, his ministry said. The foreign trip is one of the longest planned by a top official in the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has prioritized domestic policy matters.

Accompanied by a group of business leaders, Ebrard will make his first stop from March 23-25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he is due to hold meetings with his Saudi counterpart, lawmakers as well as investment funds, the ministry said in a statement. From March 26-27, Ebrard will be in Doha, Qatar, where he is scheduled to take part in the "Doha Forum", and also engage in bilateral talks with senior officials from other governments.

On March 28-29, Ebrard will be in the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai Expo and to meet political leaders and investment funds to explore projects benefiting Mexico, the ministry added. Mexico's top diplomat will then be in India from March 30-April 1 for meetings with various senior officials, including Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

While there, Ebrard is due to hold talks with players from India's pharmaceutical, technological and aerospace industries in addition to the private sector, his ministry said. The tour was undertaken at the invitation of the countries Ebrard is visiting, the ministry noted. (Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Bernard Orr)