BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is to pay an official visit to Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria and Russia from April 21-27.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu announced here on Thursday. Yang will meet with state leaders and hold talks with his counterparts of the five countries, discussing bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, she said.

    Yang was invited by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit, Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Riyad al-Malki, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.