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
