Modi wants talks with Pakistan 'without a shadow of terrorism'
A day after Pakistan's prime minister expressed frustration over failed talks over Kashmir, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed interest in a bilateral dialog.
United Nations
's Prime Minister聽聽said on Saturday that he wants to hold bilateral talks with neighboring聽聽"without a shadow of terrorism," a day after聽's prime minister expressed frustration over stalled talks over Kashmir.
Last month,聽聽announced it was withdrawing from the planned peace talks about the disputed Himalayan region between the two nuclear-armed neighbors because of plans by聽聽to consult Kashmiri separatists ahead of the meeting.
"I want to hold bilateral talks to improve friendship and cooperation in all seriousness and in an atmosphere of peace, without a shadow of terrorism," Modi, speaking in Hindi, told the聽聽in his first address to the world body.
"But this is also the duty of聽聽to come forward and create an appropriate atmosphere and with all seriousness come forward for a bilateral dialog," he said.
听蝉补测蝉听聽supports separatist militants that cross the Line of Control, which divides Kashmir between聽听补苍诲听-controlled regions, from the聽聽side to attack Indian forces.
Modi appeared to chastise聽聽Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had used his own聽聽address on Friday to blame聽聽for the collapse of the latest talks over Kashmir.
"By raising this issue in this forum," Modi said, "I don't know how serious our efforts will be, and some people are doubtful about it."
Modi is due to have private meetings with the prime ministers of聽听补苍诲听聽and the president of聽on Saturday in New York, but no meetings are planned with Sharif or other Pakistani officials, according to the Indian delegation.