New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) An Indian trade delegation leaves for Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan Tuesday on a six-day visit to strengthen economic bilateral ties, especially in oil and gas and in cotton textiles.

The delegation, led by Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, will go to Baku, Tashkent and other cities.

It aims to sign a first of its kind agreement with Azerbaijan for establishing the India-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and also explore opportunities for investment in Azerbaijan's oil and gas sector.

"ONGC Videsh has identified some promising prospects which it would like to develop, with Azerbaijan having re-emerged as a major oil-rich country with the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline that links Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and is the world's second longest oil pipeline connecting rich Caspian Sea oil reserves with the Mediterranean Sea," an official statement said.

Senior officials of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) and MMTC Ltd., who will be part of the delegation, will explore opportunities in Azerbaijan's mineral sector.

In Azerbaijan, Indian conglomerates like Bharat Heavy Electronics Ltd. (BHEL) have installed power generators and several other Indian pharma companies have a presence.

Ranesh also plans to review the status of implementation of the MOU signed in November 2006 between the Uzbekistan government and The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council of India (TEXPROCIL) for enhancing cooperation in the cotton textile sector, the statement said.

The State Trading Corporation plans to invest $10 million in the cottonseed processing industry of Uzbekistan.