Islamabad, Jan 01: Observing that India and Pakistan have made gestures to create a "positive environment", External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha today said no bilateral meetings have been fixed during the three-day Saarc summit beginning on Sunday. "Both sides made gestures to create a positive environment on the bilateral front," Sinha told reporters shortly after arriving here by an Indian Air Force aircraft to take part in the two-day Saarc ministerial meeting beginning tomorrow.
Sinha, who was accompanied by National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra and other top officials, declined to give a categorical answer to questions whether there would be bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who arrives here on Saturday for the Saarc summit, and Pakistani leaders.
Sinha, however, earlier told reporters that no bilateral meetings have been fixed with Pakistani leaders. "Nothing is fixed, let us see."
Soon after their arrival, Sinha and Mishra held talks with Foreign Secretary Shashank and Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shivshankar Menon and reviewed the progress of the foreign secretary-level talks.
Sinha later joined an informal meeting with the Saarc foreign ministers, which was attended among others by Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.
Bureau Report