US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to Malé, Maldives and Kathmandu, Nepal, the State Department announced. 

Assistant Secretary Lu will arrive in Malé on November 15 for meetings with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel, other senior government officials, and civil society leaders. 

He will then travel to Kathmandu on November 17 for meetings with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and government leaders.

Informed sources said the visit to only these two South Asian countries was part of the State Department's even-handed approach to the region, where smaller countries often fall under the radar because of enhanced focus on Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. (SAM)