Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will lead a delegation to Rome and Dubai on June 20 during his 10-day second foreign trip in his 22 years of tenure. He had undertaken his first overseas visit in May 2012.
The delegation includes Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra, Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian, Food and Civil Supplies Principal Secretary VV Yadav, Industries Principal Secretary Hemant Sharma and Resident Commissioner in New Delhi Ravi Kant.
The CM and his delegation left for New Delhi on Saturday. The details of the programme were released by the Chief Minister’s Office on Saturday.
On the invitation of the World Food Programme (WFP), Patnaik would visit its headquarters in Rome and share the transformative initiatives taken by his Government in the field of food security and disaster management.
Patnaik will meet WFP Executive Director David Beasley and the senior leadership to discuss in detail Odisha’s partnership with WFP and future projects, which will further help the State ensure its food security.
During his stay in Rome, the CM will meet Pope Francis in The Holy See, Vatican. He will also meet the Odia diaspora from various parts of Europe. He will discuss with the non-resident Odias (NROs) on possible ways to engage with them for promoting art and culture of Odisha, enabling them to be a part of the State’s transformational journey.
On his way back, Patnaik will meet investors from the Middle East and adjoining regions in Dubai. He will invite potential investors to come and invest in Odisha and assure them of all the support and facilitation by the State Government. He will also have one-on-one meetings with some big investors from the region.
A high-level industrial delegation from Odisha will also be present during the investors’ meet for possible partnerships with foreign investors. The CM will meet Odia diaspora from the Middle East in Dubai and discuss with them the State’s transformational journey over the last two decades and invite them for partnership in it.
The CM will return to Bhubaneswar on June 30.
