PM #Modi, Nawaz Sharif to Hold Bilateral Talks in #Russia, Say Sources

NEW DELHI:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold full bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of a summit in the Russian town of Ufa on Friday, sources have told NDTV.

The sources said the two leaders will meet for about an hour and hold talks in what is being described as just short of summit talks.

PM Modi’s phone call to Mr Sharif at the start of the holy month of Ramzan had set the tone and broken the ice, sources had earlier told NDTV.

PM Modi is expected to raise India’s concerns on terrorism, including the release of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the 26/11 mastermind who walked free earlier this year.

Mr Modi and Mr Sharif last met at the SAARC summit in Kathmandu in November 2014, but did not hold formal talks.

The PM arrived in Ufa today on a three-day visit to RUssia. He will attend two key summits – the BRICS summit tomorrow and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) summit on Friday which Mr Sharif is attending too.

Today, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.