Colombo, July 11: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has accepted an invitation from President M A Gayoom of the Maldives to visit the country, external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said today. "The visit is likely to take place most likely in the third week of September," Sinha told reporters on arrival at the Bandaranaike international airport here from male.

He said he had "fruitful discussions" with president Gayoom and the speaker of the Maldivian Parliament, Abdullah Hameed. Officials in Male said Sinha held bilateral discussions over dinner with the acting Foreign Minister Ahmed Abdullah last night.

He also visited the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and the faculty of engineering technology there.

Bureau Report