Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will leave Sunday for a 10-day trip to Algeria, Swaziland and Syria, the foreign ministry said today.

Mahathir will be in Algeria until Tuesday during which time he will hold talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and witness the signing of a pact to boost bilateral trade, the ministry said in a statement.

Southeast Asia's longest-serving leader will then fly to Swaziland to attend the Southern Africa International Dialogue which seeks to promote cooperation between developing nations, it said.

Signing agreements

In Syria from August 17, the 77-year-old Mahathir will pay a courtesy call on President Bashar al-Assad and hold talks with his counterpart Mohammad Mustapha Miro.

The two premiers will witness the signing of several government and private sector agreements to boost bilateral trade. Mahathir will also launch Malaysian national car-maker Proton's showroom in Damascus.

The Malaysian leader, who is due to retire in late October after 22 years in power, is due to return to Kuala Lumpur on August 19. - AFP