Kathmandu, September 1

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali today left Kathmandu for Maldives, leading a three-member delegation to the Fourth Indian Ocean Conference to be held in Male from September 3 to 4.

Heads of state and government, foreign ministers, other ministers, diplomats and scholars from over 40 countries are scheduled to participate at the conference. Theme of this year’s conference is, ‘Securing the Indian Ocean Region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges’. Minister Gyawali will address the conference on September 3.

During the visit, he will also hold a meeting with his counterpart Abdullah Shahid, foreign minister of Maldives. Gyawali is scheduled to return home on September 5, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.