Indian, Pak Prime Ministers to meet in Egypt : Govt

New Delhi, Jul 10: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Shaikh and the logistics of the meeting are being worked out, the government confirmed.
The meeting between the two Prime Ministers will be preceded by discussions between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries--Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir--who will report to their two leaders.

Mr Vivek Katju, Special Secretary (Political and International Organisations) in the External Affairs Ministry, said at a press conference here yesterday, that many other bilateral meetings between Dr Singh and other world leaders were being finalised.

He did not elaborate on the bilateral meetings or the dates of meeting between the two Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries.

''There will be meetings with world leaders on the margins of the Summit. These are being fixed up and are in the process,'' he said, while briefing reporters on the Prime Minister's visit to the NAM Summit.

On the meeting between Dr Singh and Mr Gilani, Mr Katju said, ''Logistics of the meeting are being worked out.'' This will be Dr Singh's second meeting with a top Pakistani leader during the past one month. He had met Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari at Yekaterinburg in Russia on June 16 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

The two leaders had then decided to meet again on the sidelines of the NAM. But after Mr Zardari pulled out of the NAM Summit, the meeting was decided to be held with Mr Gilani.

Describing the Sharm-el-Shaikh Summit as very important as it was being organised when the world was facing grave challenges like the economic slowdown and terrorism, Mr Katju said India would urge NAM countries to support the adoption of the 'Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism' moved in the UN in 1996.
 UNI