Narendra Modi accepts Nawaz Sharif's invitation to visit Pakistan for Saarc summit in 2016
Ufa, Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted an invitation Friday from his counterpart Nawaz Sharif to attend a regional summit in Islamabad next year in what would be his first visit to Pakistan.
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated his invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit Pakistan for the SAARC Summit in 2016. Prime Minister Modi accepted that invitation," said a joint statement from the governments after the two leaders met in Russia. The statement was read out by India's S. Jaishankar and Aizaz Chaudhry of Pakistan .
"The meeting between India and Pakistan prime ministers was held in a cordial atmosphere," said Aizaz Chaudhry, Pakistan foreign secretary. "Both countries are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues. They have condemned terrorism in all its forms," he added.
While Sharif did attend Modi's inauguration in May last year, the Indian premier has not visited Pakistan since coming to power and relations between the two governments have been cool in recent months.
India has been particularly infuriated by delays in legal proceedings against the suspected mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai bombings who it wants extradited.
In the statement, the two governments said they would "discuss ways and means" to expedite the legal process, including the sharing of voice samples.
They also announced that their respective national security advisors would meet in New Delhi to discuss "terrorism" although they did not set a date for the talks.
And officials responsible for security on both sides of their sometimes volatile border would also meet soon, according to the statement which was read out to reporters in Russia by the two countries' foreign secretaries. There will also be meetings between the director generals of the BSF and the Pakistani Rangers followed by talks between chiefs of military operations of both countries.
Read: India-Pakistan conflict can be stumbling block for SCO: analyst
"Both leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms and agreed to cooperate with each other to eliminate this menace from South Asia," said the statement, read out by the two countries' foreign secretaries.
India has long argued Pakistan shelters or sponsors militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is accused of being behind an attack on the financial capital Mumbai that left 166 people dead in November 2008.
India was furious in April when Pakistani authorities freed the alleged mastermind of the attacks, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, on bail.
India has seethed at Pakistan's failure either to hand over or prosecute those accused of planning and organising the attacks.
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Pakistan has in turn said that India failed to give it crucial evidence, such as recordings between the attackers and their handlers.
While it did not go into details, the statement said that "both sides agreed to discuss ways and means to expedite the Mumbai case trial, including additional information like providing voice samples".
Modi and Sharif met while attending a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation rganisation which is being held in the Russian city of Ufa.
"The two sides have also decided to release within 15 days fishermen in each other's custody and their boats," S. Jaishankar added.
Earlier, Narendra Modi was warmly received by his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif before their much-anticipated meeting here on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. The two leaders shook hands and posed for photographers before settling down for delegation-level talks.
Indian delegation included National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar while Sartaj Aziz, Sharif's advisor on foreign affairs and national security, was in the Pakistani delegation.
Neighbourhood engagement. PM @narendramodi meets PM Nawaz Sharif on sidelines of SCO Summit pic.twitter.com/csMUUdECLI
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 10, 2015Setting the tone for the meeting, Modi and Sharif last night exchanged pleasantries and chatted briefly when they came face-to-face at a dinner hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin for leaders of five BRICS countries and 10 SCO nations here.
The two leaders, who are here to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, are expected to discuss the status of the bilateral ties and the future direction.
Modi and Sharif were last together in Kathmandu in November last for the SAARC Summit but they did not have a bilateral meeting because of acrimony between the two countries at that time.
PM Narendra Modi meets PM Nawaz Sharif for a bilateral meeting in Ufa (Russia) https://t.co/LwTSZiB2Bo
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2015