New Delhi/Kathmandu:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he looked forward to bilateral discussions with other South Asian heads of state on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Nepal, amid swirling speculation of possible talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
"Development of close relations with our neighbours is a key priority for my Government," PM Modi said in a statement hours before leaving for Kathmandu.
India has not ruled out a meeting, with Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj saying yesterday in response to questions: "Wait till tomorrow (Tuesday)".
Mr Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Sartaz Aziz briefly met today at a foreign ministers' meet.
This is Mr Modi's second visit to Nepal since he took charge in May and the first summit of SAARC or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, a grouping that comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The possibility of his meeting with the Pakistani prime minister has dominated media reports on the summit.
Sources say PM Modi and Mr Sharif will "definitely meet" as part of the conference, the banquets and a retreat planned for leaders outside Kathmandu. The structure of talks, however, is not known.
India has been noncommittal and Pakistan has said there are "no plans yet" for a meeting.
"One or two meetings are fixed. The rest are not yet fixed," said Sartaz Aziz, Mr Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security.
When pressed further, Mr Aziz said, "If the initiative (for the meeting) comes from the other side."
In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, "The Prime Minister's intention is to have meaningful dialogue with as many of our South Asian colleagues as possible. This would mean taking into account all aspects of our relationship."
In August, India called off talks with Pakistan over its envoy's meetings with Kashmiri separatists. The move marked a giant step back for diplomatic ties that soared after PM Modi, in a surprising move, invited Mr Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in Delhi in May.