Heads of State from SAARC countries have begun arriving in the Maldives.
Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigme Thinley arrived early this morning, followed by President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, and Prime Minister of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai.
The leaders of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are due to arrive this afternoon, ahead of the opening ceremony tomorrow.
Roads around Addu Atoll have been closed during the arrival of the Heads of State, and boat traffic in the atoll halted by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) coastguard.
