The eight Heads of State/Government of SAARC countries are meeting at a resort in Dhulikhel, in neighbouring Kavre district, Nepal, on Thursday for the retreat where they are likely to hold informal talks.
There is still no word yet whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
When asked about the possibility of a meeting between them at Dhulikhel, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, "When a senior Indian leader and a senior Pakistani leader come face to face, they exchange courtesies. It is normal. But that doesn't mean they are having a dialogue."
Officials tight-lipped
Officials from these two countries are tight-lipped about the possibility of one-on-one talks between the two Prime Ministers. Nepal’s officials are still working to make that happen.
Local reports said that the resort, The Dwarika’s Resort, which is about 30 km from the centre of Kathmandu, is ready to host the eight leaders. Two new helipads have been built at Bhattedanda, near the resort, by the Nepal Army. The leaders would be flown there by helicopters from Kathmandu.
When The Hindu reached the staff of the resort, they expressed their inability to share information about the retreat’s arrangement, or whether they were preparing any special cuisine on the occasion.
The entire area surrounding the resort has been cordoned off, Chief District Officer Kedar Neupane said. “Although the movement on the nearby highway would be partially restricted, the road leading to the resort would be off limits before, during and after the retreat,” CDO Neupane told The Hindu .
Previous retreat
The retreat meeting during the last SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in 2002 had to be cancelled because the then Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, could not reach Kathmandu in time for the Summit due to restrictions on flight between India and Pakistan. The retreat planned on the second day at Nagarkot was cancelled.
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