External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday ruled out any meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Astana, Kazakhstan, where both world leaders will attend a conference.
"There is no meeting scheduled between PM Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Astana, during the forthcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)." Swaraj said at a press briefing here.
"Neither any such meeting is planned from our side, nor from their side," she added.
The Indian government's statement keeps in accord with Prime Minister Modi's assertion that 'talks and terrorism cannot go together'.
India and Pakistan will become full members of the SCO at the oranisation's summit on June8-9 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are scheduled to attend the summit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be other important dignitaries who would be attending the summit.
The SCO, which comprises of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is a regional security organization that primarily aims to fight terror and the trafficking of narcotics in Central Asia.
India and Pakistan's admission into the group is made possible as China gave its nod for the same after years.
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