New York:
Foreign Minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi met on Thursday in a "chance encounter" at the United Nations for a few minutes.
The ministers apparently greeted each other warmly. Krishna also asked Qureshi about the flood situation in Pakistan and the how the relief efforts were coming along.
The question now is will both sides use the opportunity of being at this international forum to sit down face to face for a formal bilateral meeting.
However, already this week, Pakistan has attempted to internationalise the recent violence in Kashmir and has asked for US mediation.
"People are tired over there. Over 100 lives have been lost in the last couple of months. It is not just me talking about it," Qureshi had said.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Krishna has given a sharp rebuttal to this. A bilateral meeting if it takes place will be the first time after the failed talks in Islamabad in July. It was a trip meant begin a structured dialogue but ended up in a confrontational press conference on the part of Pakistan. A meeting in New York, if it takes place, will be a chance to clear the air.