Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay is going on a four-day trip to the Middle East to promote peace process in the region, a press release said on Friday.

MacKay will arrive in Jordan on Friday, where he will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He will also visit the West Bank and Israel and plans to meet with a range of political leaders and civil society representatives to discuss how Canada can support peace efforts in the Middle East, according to the release.

"I am looking forward to my first visit to the Middle East, and to this opportunity to assess the situation on the ground," MacKay said in the release.

"Our message in the region is clear: we support efforts that will lead to a peaceful and comprehensive resolution to the Arab- Israeli conflict, including the creation of a Palestinian state."

MacKay's visit comes amid reports that Ottawa is planning to resume aid to the region one year after cutting off funding to the Palestinian Authority.

Canada will be contributing between 12 million Canadian dollars (10 million U.S. dollars) and 15 million Canadian dollars (12 million U.S. dollars) in aid that will go towards water treatment, hospitals and 144,000 struggling families, the national newspaper "Globe and Mail" reported.

Source: Xinhua