HAMBURG - A Syrian state purchasing agency has issued an international tender to purchase 39,400 tonnes of white rice, European traders said on Monday.

The tender from Syria's General Foreign Trade Organisation closes on Feb. 22, they said. White Chinese rice or Egyptian short grain rice is sought.

A separate tender from the agency for 25,000 tonnes of rice closes on Feb. 9.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan) ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com; +49 172 671 36 54; Reuters Messaging: michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))