PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is today scheduled to leave for Rome, Italy, to attend the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) annual summit.

Special assistant to the president for Press and public relations, Dickson Jere said in a statement yesterday that Mr Banda would join other heads of State and Government officials and was scheduled to address the summit on issues which would include food security and climate change.

On his way to Rome, President Banda would make a brief stop-over in Libya for bilateral consultations at the invitation of Libyan leader, Muammar Gadafi, who is also African Union chairperson.

First Lady Thandiwe Banda and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Brian Chituwo will accompany the president.