New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take up the slow pace of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial and trade between the two neighbours when he meets his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at Ufa in Russia on Friday, said sources.
Sources said that Pakistan has realised that harping on Kashmir with Modi government is futile and its leadership is more keen on maintaining peace on the border.
The sources further said that even though Pakistan will raise Kashmir issue during the meeting, it is eager to boost trade ties with India. Trade between the two countries is currently at $2 billion and it can go up manifold, sources added.
During the meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Modi is expected to voice concerns over cross-border terrorism and discuss the state of bilateral ties and their future direction.
It is confirmed. PM @narendramodi and PM Nawaz Sharif will have a bilateral meeting in Ufa tomorrow at 9.15 am on sidelines of SCO Summit— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2015
Modi and Sharif met for the first time in Delhi in May 2014 when the Pakistani leader came to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Indian Prime Minister.
Modi and Sharif were last together in Kathmandu in November 2014 for the SAARC Summit but they did not have a bilateral meeting because of acrimony between the two countries at that time over Pakistan envoy in Delhi engaging with separatist Hurriyat leaders which led to the cancellation of Foreign Secretary-level talks.
After a period of lull, Foreign Secretary Jaishankar went to Islamabad on a ice-breaking visit as part of a SAARC Yatra and discussed the possibility of resuming talks.
The tone for Friday's meeting was clearly set by Modi's phone call to Sharif in June to greet him on the beginning of Ramzan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims. During the telephonic talk, Modi had stressed the need for having peaceful ties.
Modi had also conveyed to Sharif India's decision to release detained Pakistani fishermen on the occasion of Ramzan. Subsequently, India had released 88 Pakistani fishermen.
Pakistan reciprocated by freeing 111 Indian fishermen.
Prior to that phone call, both sides had exchanged sharp comments after Modi's critical remarks about Pakistan during his Bangladesh visit and in the wake of India's military action in Myanmar.
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