United Nations Chief Welcomes PM Modi-Nawaz Sharif Meeting in Paris

United Nations: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Paris climate summit.

"...obviously, if the meeting did take place, we welcome it," UN Secretary General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here yesterday.

Prime Minister Modi and Nawaz Sharif met briefly yesterday in Paris as the climate conference began in the French capital.

The two leaders warmly held hands before sitting down for a chat amidst frosty ties between the two neighbours.

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The Indian side describes the encounter as a "brief exchange of courtesies", but Pakistanis terming it as a "good" meeting.

The meeting was the first between the two leaders after July when they had met in the Russian city of Ufa and had agreed that their National Security Advisors would meet.

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The two leaders had attended the UN General Assembly session in September but did not meet even though they had stayed in the same hotel.

PM Modi and Mr Sharif came under one roof during a peacekeeping summit held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, but only waved at each other.

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Just ahead of the climate conference, Mr Ban had told PTI in an interview that improved relations between India and Pakistan could create a more conducive environment for the two nations to stem the threat posed by terrorism.

The UN Chief had reiterated that dialogue is the only way for resolving differences between the nuclear-armed neighbours.