Modi seeks to improve ties with Saarc nations

He is said to have had 'good and substantive meetings' with all eight leaders

A day after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to improve ties with other South Asian countries by holding substantive meetings with leaders and representatives of all the seven members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had good and substantive meetings with all eight leaders who are visiting India. He thanked each of them for their graciousness in accepting his invitation to attend the ceremony of oath-taking and noted this was a celebration of democracy in the region, enriched by their presence,” Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh told reporters here on Tuesday, after the prime minister held bilateral meetings with leaders of the Saarc countries.

The most keenly watched meeting was the one between Modi and Nawaz Sharif, his Pakistan counterpart. At the meeting, Modi raised the issue of terrorism. His meeting with leaders from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal, who were invited to attend the oath-taking ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, were also significant.

Modi’s first bilateral meeting on Tuesday was with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, at which both sides discussed the recent attack on the Indian consulate in Heart, as well as a road map for increased cooperation to develop the war-torn region. Modi underscored India’s continued commitment to the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan and its interest in seeing that country as prosperous, independent and sovereign, where the reconciliation process would be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, Sujatha Singh said.

With Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Modi discussed ways to increase bilateral and strategic cooperation.

It couldn’t be confirmed whether the two leaders discussed recent incidents related to emergence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as well as India’s stand on allegations of human rights violation under Rajapaksa.

With the leaders of Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, Modi assessed the situation in those countries. He also committed to visiting those countries soon.

PICTURE GALLERY: Modi with SAARC leaders