Sharon looks to deepen military ties with India

But it was unlikely Sharon would use the visit to officially seal a billion dollar radar systems deal, an Israeli foreign ministry official who requested he not be named told AFP.

The Israeli leader is to arrive in New Delhi on Monday for four days of talks with Indian officials in the first public display of what has, until now, been a secretive relationship.

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It will also mark the first visit of an Israeli leader to India since the two countries established full diplomatic relations in 1992.

"The focus will be on political relations, military cooperation and the fight against terror," the foreign ministry official said.

"India is a leading member of the non-alignment movement and is close to Iran and to the Arab world, so hosting the most important Israeli official shows India is a good friend of Israel," the official said. "This is very significant."

Military cooperation would also be high on the agenda, he said, without giving details.

Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies and an expert on Indian-Israeli relations, said the talks were likely to focus on strategic cooperation and the fight against Islamic extremism.