Ufa (Russia): More than a year after they met in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif are meeting in Ufa on Friday. According to sources, the Kashmir issue will take a backseat as Pakistan wants to increase trade ties with India. The much anticipated meet is talking place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
The two leaders shook hands and posed for photographers before settling down for delegation-level talks. Indian delegation included National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar while Sartaj Aziz, Sharif's advisor on foreign affairs and national security, was in the Pakistani delegation.
Sources say that at least 5 agreements are expected to be signed by the two leaders. Three-year multiple entry visas are likely to be given to Pakistan businessmen. Multiple entry visas are also likely to be given to bus travellers on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route and Delhi-Lahore route. Sources also add that slow pace of 26/11 trial and trade with Pakistan will top the Indian agenda for the talks. It is also being said that Pakistan realises that harping on Kashmir with Modi government is a futile attempt.
The meeting holds importance as Pakistan will be hosting the SAARC summit in 2016 and Modi will have to visit the country then. Thus both countries are hoping to bring back the dialogue process.
Setting the tone for the meeting, Modi and Sharif had on Thursday exchanged pleasantries and chatted briefly when they came face-to-face at a dinner hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin for leaders of five BRICS countries and 10 SCO nations.
"It is confirmed. PM @narendramodi and PM Nawaz Sharif will have a bilateral meeting in Ufa tomorrow at 9.15 am (9.45 am IST) on sidelines of SCO Summit," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup had tweeted.
Officials said the two leaders would be reviewing the relationship and all issues could be on the table. "Terrorism for India is a major concern," an official said, indicating that the issue could be taken up by Modi at tomorrow's meeting.
In Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said bilateral issues of importance will be discussed in the Modi-Sharif meeting. "India has proposed a meeting and Pakistan has positively responded to it," the spokesman said.
Indian officials, while insisting that expectations should not be raised for the meeting, likened India- Pakistan relations to a cricket match. "You never know how the match will progress till it ends," a senior official said.
The official was commenting while contending that there have been positive gestures in India-Pakistan relations in the recent months, like Modi calling up Sharif to greet him on Ramzan which was followed by release of fishermen by both the countries.
Modi and Sharif met at Modi's swearing-in ceremony in May 2014. Thereafter the two leaders came together in Kathmandu in November 2014 for the SAARC Summit but did not have a bilateral meeting because of acrimony between the two countries at that time.
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