KATHMANDU: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and premier Nawaz Sharif shook hands and met briefly on Thursday during the retreat at the Saarc Summit, according to Indian media reports.
Sources say there was no separate conversation between the two leaders.According to a report on NDTV, Modi and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shook hands and spoke briefly at an informal retreat for Saarc leaders at a resort outside Kathmandu, on the sidelines of a summit that appears to have been derailed by Pakistan’s refusal to endorse agreements backed by India.
The report also says that Nawaz Sharif will fly out of Nepal this evening, a little earlier than scheduled. He will miss a banquet and a meeting with the president of Nepal.
An Indian government source had earlier said that Prime Minister Modi may hold informal talks with his Pakistani counterpart at the Dhulikel resort in the Himalayan foothills on Thursday morning, although that had remained uncertain.
Modi held one-on-one talks with every Saarc leader except Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday, with both sides saying it was up to the other to request a meeting.
The 18th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit kicked off Wednesday as leaders of the eight members states got together here at the capital of Nepal to find ways to make the regional grouping more viable and effective.
All the eight leaders were invited to the conference table and the ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem of Nepal.
Analysts have blamed Saarc’s failure on the mutual mistrust between Pakistan and regional powerhouse India, which has taken a more assertive stance toward its northern neighbour since the election of a new Hindu nationalist government in May.
The Indian Express said there were “visible cold vibes” between the two leaders, who did not even exchange nods on Wednesday, let alone shake hands, despite being only two seats apart for around four hours.
The leaders are hoping to salvage agreements on road, rail and power connectivity which some officials said were being held up by Pakistan.
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