No plans of Modi-Sharif meeting on UN General Assembly sidelines: MEA
The Prime Minister will however meet Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his Bangladesh and Nepal counterpartsSheikh Hasina and Sushil Koirala
New Delhi: There are “no plans" for a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, the external affairs ministry said on Tuesday.
As part of “neighbours first" policy, Modi is scheduled to meet Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala in initial bilateral meetings, said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs. When asked if there will be a meeting between Modi and Sharif, he said “there are no plans for the meeting".
Asked about the recent meetings Pakistan High Commissioner here Abdul Basit had with national security advisor Ajit Doval and foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, the spokesperson said these were “courtesy" meetings sought by the Pakistani envoy.
Akbaruddin said “process should not be mixed with the content", when asked if these meetings were indicative of possibility that the two prime ministers may meet in New York.
On the Modi-Hasina meet, the spokesperson said both countries are aware of each other’s concerns and issues and any meeting will help in better understanding and also further deepening of the bilateral cooperation.
Modi is scheduled to meet Hasina on 27 September.
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