Yesterday, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met on the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly session in New York:
[The leaders] agreed to kickstart an embattled peace dialogue between the two nuclear-armed rivals, with new talks to be scheduled by year's end....
Singh and Zardari also decided to launch trading between the divided zones of the disputed Kashmir region from October 21....
The leaders agreed that a special meeting of a joint anti-terror mechanism be held next month to address "mutual concerns," including the bombing of the embassy, the statement said....
Singh and Zardari appeared satisfied as they emerged from the meeting.
In brief remarks, Singh praised Zardari's vision for a progressive South Asia, saying they decided that issues be resolved through "peaceful" means.
Zardari called Singh the "architect of modern India," saying, "I hope to learn from him."
The meeting helped eased tensions, officials from both sides said.
"The leaders met for well over an hour, spent most of their time without aides and had a comprehensive discussion of the entire realm of issues in our relationship," Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon told reporters....
According to the statement, crossborder trade will commence on the road between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capitals respectively of Indian and Pakistani zones of Kashmir, as well as the road from Poonch, in southern Indian Kashmir, to Rawalakot in Pakistani Kashmir. [link]
The text of their joint statement is available here.
The Singh-Zardari meeting, however, was overshadowed in the U.S. media by coverage of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's courtesy calls with visiting world leaders during her own trip to New York. South Asian leaders featured prominently in Palin's schedule. While media access to Palin's meetings was strictly limited, journalists were able to get some access to Palin's initial exchanges of pleasantries with the visiting heads of state.
On Tuesday, Palin met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai:
A television news producer who was allowed in the room for the brief photograph, or “spray,” reported that Mr. Karzai spoke of the birth of his first child last year.
“What is his name?” Ms. Palin asked.
“Mirwais,” Mr. Karzai replied. “Mirwais, which means, ‘The Light of the House.’ ”
“Oh nice,” Palin responded, at one point patting her heart.
“He is the only one we have,” Mr. Karzai said.
Later, asked how the meeting went, Mr. Karzai said, “It was fine.” Asked again, he said, “It was a very good meeting, we talked a lot about a lot of things.” [link]
Wednesday's meetings included visits with both Zardari and Singh. The meeting with Zardari, in particular, attracted some attention (watch the video of the meeting to the right):
“I am honored to meet you,” Ms. Palin said.
“You are even more gorgeous than you are on the (inaudible),” Mr. Zardari said.
“You are so nice,” Ms. Palin replied. “Thank you.”
“Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you,” Mr. Zardari continued. At which point an aide told the two to shake hands.
“I’m supposed to pose again,” Ms. Palin said.
“If he’s insisting,” Mr. Zardari said, “I might hug.”
Earlier, Sherry Rehman, the Pakistani information minister, had welcomed Ms. Palin. “Busy on the campaign trail?” she asked the governor.
“Yes, yes,” Ms. Palin replied.
“How does one keep looking that good?” Ms. Rehman asked.
“Oh, oh, thank you,” the governor replied. [link]
Apparently, Palin's meeting with Singh was more low key:
A sense of unease was written large on the Prime Minister's face when Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin came calling upon him....
[Jay] Mandal, who took photographs of the meeting, said that the Indian Prime Minister was speechless when Palin chatted with him.
Describing the sequence of events, Mandal said: "Frankly I could not see that Prime Minister Singh was uncomfortable, but I could hear Sarah Palin talking; I could see Dr Singh's lips moving, but I could not hear his talking."
Some other journalists present at the meeting, said that Palin was equally uncomfortable....
PMO officials refused to divulge anything about what transpired between the two at the meeting, but off the record, they said it is too early to make a judgment about Palin. [link]
A few reactions to Palin's meeting with Zardari:
- LA Times, Palin Gets Cozy With Pakistan's President
- Changing Up Pakistan, Zardari Tells Palin She's 'Gorgeous'
- Sepia Mutiny's Anna John, If He Is Insisting on Hug, Slap His Leering Mug
- Teeth Maestro, Zardari Flirts With Sarah Palin: Calling Her Gorgeous and Offers to Hug
