Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that during his meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi this morning, he had conveyed the view that confrontation between the two countries should turn into co-operation.
In a brief press statement given to the media before his departure for Islamabad, Sharif said: "I conveyed to Prime Minister Modi that it was important for us to work together for peace. I urged that we had to strive to change confrontation to co operation."
"We hope our people overcome the legacy of mistrust and misgivings," he said.
"I am very pleased to be in New Delhi at Modi's invitation. He invited me and I felt great pleasure in responding positively. I had a constructive meeting. It was a warm and cordial meeting. It should be historic opportunity for both our countries," he said further.
"I recalled to Prime Minister Modi my invitation to Prime Minister Vajpayee to Lahore in February 1999. I expressed to Modi that we have a common agenda of development that cannot be fulfilled without peace," Sharif said.
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"Prime Minister Modi warmly reciprocated my sentiments and remarked that my visit to Delhi was seen as a special gesture by the people of India," he said.
"I am very pleased to be in New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I had a very useful and productive meeting with him (today).
"I told him that I intend to pick up the threads from the Lahore Declaration (of 1999), and Prime Minister Modi warmly reciprocated my sentiments. We have agreed that the foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet soon.
"Both are at the beginning of our tenure with a clear mandate. I told him that I intend to pick up the threads from the 1999 meeting with former PM Vajpayee. Together we should rid the region of instability. Accusations and counter-accusations will not be productive; we want people to overcome the legacy of mistrust and misgivings. We need more people-to-people exchanges," he added.
Television channel reports said Sharif's statement avoided any mention of terrorism or Kashmir
Earlier in separate interaction with media, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said that Modi had raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and sought speedy trial in the 26/11 case in his meeting with Nawaz Sharif.
Before the meeting started, Sharif and Modi shook hands and exchanged pleasantries during their photo opportunity before moving inside for bilateral talks in the presence of officials from both sides.
