NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had a forward-looking and positive meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid during the recent Commonwealth summit in Colombo, diplomatic sources said here on Saturday.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stayed away from the summit to placate Indian Tamils who were opposed to Sri Lanka’s leadership of the Commonwealth.
The largely unnoticed meeting in Colombo followed a visit to New Delhi by foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz when he conveyed a message from Mr Sharif to the Indian premier.
It was in this backdrop that Prime Minister Singh at his residence received Pakistan’s High Commissioner Salman Bashir on Saturday to bid the envoy farewell after completion of his tenure.
Mr Bashir thanked the prime minister for the courtesies and “all the cooperation” that he received during his stay from the government of India. “The high commissioner also conveyed warm sentiments and sincere desire of the leadership and people of Pakistan for better relations between the two countries,” a statement by the high commission said.
Prime Minister Singh reciprocated the sentiments and conveyed his best wishes for Mr Sharif and the people of Pakistan.—Correspondent