Pakistan media hails PM Narendra Modi, Nawaz Sharif meet in Paris

ISLAMABAD: The brief surprise meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif at the UN climate summit in Paris was today hailed as a "positive development" by state media here.

Pakistan Television (PTV) repeatedly showed footage of Modi and Sharif seated together and exchanging views.

PTV reported that the meeting was held in a "cordial atmosphere" which it said was a "positive and happy occasion".

Modi and Sharif shook hands in a lobby of the Conference Centre in the French capital and then sat down on a sofa where they were seen talking animatedly.

The exact details of the talks were not known but there is expectation here that it will help to ease tensions between the two nations after the planned meeting of their national security advisors was cancelled in August.

The brief meeting may help to arrange a cricket series between their teams in Sri Lanka next month and participation by India in the Heart of Asia Conference in Islamabad next week, some media reports said.