NEW YORK (TIP): Officials accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi have ruled out the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif though both leaders are staying in the same hotel here.
“As of now there is nothing, no bilateral meeting on the schedule,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told a news briefing , September 24 night, arranged in connection with the prime minister’s ongoing US visit.
The famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel, which is now owned by a Chinese company, plays host to Modi and Sharif who are in the city to attend the current 70th UN General Assembly session.
Swarup also ruled out the possibility of a “deliberate attempt” to ensure that the paths of the two do not cross. “If a hand shake happens, you will get to see it. If a pull-aside happens you will get to see it,” he noted.
Modi arrived yesterday afternoon and Sharif is to reach here this evening.
The prime minister will address the Sustainable Development Summit organized by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moontomorrow, September 25, when the ambitious post-2015 development agenda is scheduled to be adopted.
The Pakistani leader is also set to deliver his address to the high-level meeting. Since Sharif will also be attending the summit, the multilateral gathering will provide a forum for the leaders of India and Pakistan to come face to face.