Seven multi-party delegations with 59 members headed to 32 countries, to leave on May 21

New Delhi: Seven multi-party delegations tasked with briefing various countries on Pakistan sponsored cross-border terrorism will leave for their destinations from May 21 and the assignment is likely to end in the first week of June.

All the delegations will be briefed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri between May 20 and 23, sources said. The seven delegations with 59 members, including eight veteran diplomats, are headed to 32 countries and the European Union.

The delegations led by JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde will be among the first to leave on May 21, a day after they are briefed by Misri.

Jha and his delegation will leave India to first visit Japan and then head to other destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore while Shinde's delegation will be in the UAE first followed by Liberia, Congo and Sierra Leone.

After their briefing on May 20, the Kanimozhi-led delegation, which is leaving on May 22, will first visit Russia and conclude with Spain by June 7. Their itinerary also includes Latvia, Slovenia and Greece.

The Supriya Sule-led delegation will leave for Qatar on May 24 and will later visit Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa.

The delegation led by Shashi Tharoor will head to Guyana first on May 24 and will also visit the US, Panama, Brazil and Colombia.

The Ravishankar Prasad-led delegation will leave on May 24 and visit the United Kingdom, Germany, France, European Union, Italy and Denmark.

Similarly, the Baijayant Panda-led delegation is also likely to leave on May 24 to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria.