news details |
|
|
| PM meets Musharraf at Havana | | | Havana, Sep 16 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met here today, raising hopes for the resumption of the bilateral dialogue process stalled in the wake of the July 11 blasts in Mumbai.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 14th NAM Summit, a day after Musharraf said a "historic opportunity" existed for the two sides to "close the chapter of tensions" and that Islamabad was determined to pursue the peace process to settle all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.
The two leaders shook hands before going in for talks at the Protocol House near the Convention Centre where the NAM summit is being held.
The Prime Minister was assisted by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma and National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, while Musharraf was aided by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.
The Prime Miinister is understood to have raised India's concerns over continuing cross-border terrorism and its adverse impact on bilateral relations.
This was the first meeting of the two leaders in almost a year. The Prime Minister had yesterday said "all issues relating to the control of terrorism will figure in our discussions". Both he and Musharraf would have "limited time", Singh said, adding he could not "promise that I am going to discuss each and every problem around".
Asked specifically if a joint statement is ruled out, he shot back, "Nothing is ruled out, nothing is ruled in either." Musharraf, in his address to the summit of the 118-nation grouping last night, said, "A historic opportunity exists that must be seized by the leadership of the two countries to bring to a close the chapter of tensions and conflict in our region." He said he expected "substantive and meaningful" discussions with the Indian leader and voiced hope that it will carry the peace process forward. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
