Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday met Pope Francis in Vatican City.
"It has been an absolute pleasure meeting His Holiness Pope Francis (@Pontifex) in Vatican City. Thanked him for the warm audience and wished him good health and a long life," Patnaik said in a tweet.
The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation of senior officials of the Odisha government to Rome and Dubai.
As per schedule, Patnaik will visit World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome, where he will meet its Executive Director, David Beasley and the other senior leadership.
He will have detailed discussions on Odisha's partnership with WFP and future projects which will further help the state in ensuring food security in a sustainable manner.
The CM will also meet the Odia diaspora from various parts of Europe. He will discuss the possible ways to engage with the diaspora in promoting the art and culture of Odisha and also enabling them to partner in the state's transformational journey.
On his way back, Patnaik will meet investors from the Middle East and adjoining regions in Dubai. He will extend an invitation to the 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.