Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will begin an 11-day trip abroad on Monday, during which he will meet Pope Francis and potential investors in Vatican City and Dubai. Patnaik joined the delegation on a day trip to Delhi, his second official visit during his 22-year reign.

“At the invitation of the World Food Programme (WFP), the CM will lead a delegation to the organisation’s headquarters in Rome and share Odisha’s transformative initiatives in food security and disaster management.” “He will also meet WFP Director David Beasley and other senior officials of the organisation and discuss in detail the partnership between the Odisha government and the agency as well as future projects to ensure a sustainable manner ensure food security,” said a statement issued by the CM’s office.

CM will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican City during his stay in Rome, it said. Patnaik will meet with the Odia diaspora from across Europe to discuss how to involve them in promoting Odisha’s arts and culture and be part of the state’s transformation journey, the statement said.

On his way back from Italy, Patnaik will meet potential investors from all over West Asia in Dubai, UAE. It said he would invite them to invest in Odisha and assured them of all support from the state government. He will also have one-on-one meetings with some of the big investors in the region.

Patnaik is scheduled to return to Odisha on the evening of June 30. The delegation included Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra, Chief Secretary to Ministers (5T) V K Pandian, Principal Secretary Food and Civil Supply VV Yadav, Principal Secretary for Industry Hemant Sharma and New Delhi Resident Commissioner Ravi Kant.