Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef departed tonight on an official visit to the Republic of Uganda.

The Vice President is scheduled to attend the 19th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Heads of State and Government and the Third South Summit, organized under the framework of Group 77 and China, to be held in Kampala, Uganda.

The Vice President will deliver the Maldives statements at both summits.

The Maldives became a member of NAM in 1976 and has since been an active participant in the movement, which consists of 120 member states.

The Maldives also joined The Group of 77 (G77) and China in 1976 and has been an active participant in its meetings on issues of global interest, including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and especially utilising the platform to advocate on behalf of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).