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Vajpayee, Musharraf come face-to-face at dinner
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf came face-to-face at a dinner hosted in honour of SAARC leaders by Nepal King Gyanendra at his palace in Kathmandu.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf came face-to-face at a dinner hosted in honour of SAARC leaders by Nepal King Gyanendra at his palace in Kathmandu.
There was only exchange of pleasantries between the two leaders before the start of the dinner at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, SAARC sources said. This was the first time that Mr Vajpayee and Gen Musharraf have come face-to-face since their failed summit in Agra in July last year.
Mr Vajpayee was accompanied at the dinner by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Principal Secretary and National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra, Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer and Indian ambassador to Nepal I P Singh.
The seating at the palace was such that it kept the leaders of India and Pakistan at a ''considerable distance'' from each other, the sources said. The dinner was also attended by Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Maldives President M A Gayoom and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonpo Wangchuk. This was the second consecutive day when Mr Vajpayee was at the king's palace for dinner. The king had last night hosted a private dinner in honour of the Indian Prime Minister.
The Pakistan president, who has also given up hopes of any bilateral meeting with Mr Vajpayee, meanwhile, held talks with Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Bureau Report
There was only exchange of pleasantries between the two leaders before the start of the dinner at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, SAARC sources said. This was the first time that Mr Vajpayee and Gen Musharraf have come face-to-face since their failed summit in Agra in July last year.
The seating at the palace was such that it kept the leaders of India and Pakistan at a ''considerable distance'' from each other, the sources said. The dinner was also attended by Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Maldives President M A Gayoom and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonpo Wangchuk. This was the second consecutive day when Mr Vajpayee was at the king's palace for dinner. The king had last night hosted a private dinner in honour of the Indian Prime Minister.
The Pakistan president, who has also given up hopes of any bilateral meeting with Mr Vajpayee, meanwhile, held talks with Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Bureau Report