Ban Ki-Moon welcomes Modi-Sharif Paris 'talk'

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Paris climate summit.

"...Obviously, if the meeting did take place, we welcome it," Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the media yesterday when asked for the UN chief's response to the meeting between the two South Asian leaders on the margins of climate conference.

The heads of the two nations met briefly in Paris as the climate conference began in the French capital. The two leaders warmly held hands before sitting down for a chat.

The Indian media described the encounter as a 'brief exchange of courtesies', while the Pakistani media termed it a good meeting with speculations of better bilateral relations.