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This story is from November 26, 2014

No India-Pak talks during Saarc summit as PM Modi rebuffs Sharif

With Saarc summit overtaken by buzz of an India-Pakistan bilateral meeting, ministry of external affairs spokesperson on Tuesday night set speculation at rest.
No India-Pak talks during Saarc summit as PM Modi rebuffs Sharif
KATHMANDU: PM Narendra Modi will not have a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on Wednesday.
With the Saarc summit overtaken by the buzz of an India-Pakistan bilateral meeting, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson on Tuesday night set speculation at rest. Modi will meet the heads of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Bhutan, with Pakistan being conspicuously absent.
The Indian announcement came hours after the Pakistani PM said he was willing to meet the Indian leadership but India had to make the first move to request a meeting. Sharif, on his arrival, said, “cancellation of talks was New Delhi's unilateral decision”; the “ball is now in India's court for talks between both the countries”. Pakistan has also opposed plans for regional connectivity through power and railway links that were proposed by India.
The prospects of an India-Pakistan meeting coincided with polls in J&K, with the first phase witnessing an unprecedented high turnout.
Why ask me about talks, ask Modi instead: Sharif
Asked about the possibility of talks resuming between India and Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif said the question should be put to PM Narendra Modi instead. The two leaders may exchange pleasantries during their retreat planned for Thursday, but there will be no public interaction.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) waves as he arrives at the Tribhuwan Airport to attend the 18th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Katmandu on November 25, 2014.(AP photo)

Indian officials were tight-lipped when asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Modi and Sharif. Sharif’s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, too, merely replied that Sharif would meet the presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka. “Two or three more bilateral meetings have been fixed, details of which will be announced in due course,” he added.
Ahead of his visit, Modi said development of close relations with neighbours was a key priority for his government and he was looking forward to holding talks with other South Asian heads of states on margins of the summit.
“Although this is my first Saarc Summit, during the last six months, I have interacted extensively with leaders of Saarc countries beginning with their auspicious presence at my swearing-in ceremony. Development of close relations with our neighbours is a key priority for my government,” Modi said.
Noting that the summit's theme was “Deeper Regional Integration for Peace and Prosperity”, he said India has always emphasised on the importance of greater regional integration at all levels for the socio-economic development of the South Asian region.
India and Pakistan have been involved in a war of words after New Delhi cancelled a foreign secretary-level meeting in August after Pakistan's envoy in India met Kashmiri separatists ahead of the talks.
Sharif said the SAARC had not made significant progress even after 30 years of its formation while European Union and other regional organizations have come a long way.
Later, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “We are for a meaningful dialogue and that meaningful dialogue bilaterally would mean something very specific.”
He said Modi will tomorrow have structured bilateral meetings with Presidents of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the Maldives and Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and Bhutan.
“These are structured meetings which we will try to work on as meaningful dialogues with our partners. These were all the meetings that were asked for and we have acceded to every request,” Akbaruddin said.
Asked about Sharif's comment that the ball is in India's court to initiate talks, the spokesperson said India has been favouring meaningful dialogue and it was for Pakistan to ensure that.
“We have been shouting from the top of the roof that we are ready for meaningful dialogue. The emphasis was on meaningful. The meaningful dialogue has a meaning in diplomacy. In Pakistan, they know it very clearly what we mean by meaningful dialogue as they know us and understand us. They know everything,” he said.
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