Indian, Pakistani PMs Hold Unexpected Talks

Ayaz Gul

The prime ministers of India and Pakistan have held a much-hoped-for bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit.

Officials describe the half-hour surprise meeting between Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan's Zafarulaah Jamali as a courtesy call.

After the meeting, Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said the prime ministers exchanged views on recent steps their countries have taken to improve usually tense relations.

"They met in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The two prime ministers agreed that the momentum, which has been created in our bilateral relations should be maintained."

Foreign Minister Sinha says Mr. Vajpayee is expected to meet Monday with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Masood Khan calls the meetings a good beginning that could lead to resumption of official talks between India and Pakistan.

"It is a good beginning, and we hope that this would culminate in a dialogue. These high-level meetings are very important. They create a new atmosphere, and they can facilitate bilateral negotiations also, and the dialogue that Pakistan has been pursuing for some time."

Last April, India and Pakistan began a series of steps to ease border tensions that had pushed them to the brink of another war over the mountain territory of Kashmir.

In the past few months, India and Pakistan have restored full diplomatic relations and have resumed road, rail and air links. The two rival nations are also observing a cease-fire in divided Kashmir.

The meeting between Indian and Pakistan prime ministers followed the start of the summit gathering of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Islamabad.

注释：

prime minister（PM） 总理，首相

Pakistan [7pB:kis5tB:n] n. 巴基斯坦（南亚国家）

bilateral [bai5lAtErEl] adj. 双边的

sideline [5saidlain] n. 边界

summit [5sQmit] n. 最高阶层，峰会。

Atal Bihari Vajpayee  阿塔尔·比哈里·瓦杰帕伊，印度前总理。

Zafarulaah Jamali  扎法尔·贾马利，2002年当选为巴基斯坦总理。

courtesy [5kE:tisi] n. 礼貌，谦恭

foreign minister  外交部长

Yashwant Sinha  亚施旺特·辛哈，印度外交部长。

momentum [mEu5mentEm] n. 动力，要素

Masood Khan  马苏德·可汗，巴基斯坦外交部发言人

resumption [ri5zQmpFEn] n.恢复

culminate [5kQlmineit] v. 达到高潮

facilitate [fE5siliteit] vt. 推动，促进

brink [briNk] n. 边缘

Kashmir [5kAFmiE] n. 克什米尔地区

restore [ris5tC:] vt. 恢复，重建

resume [ri5zju:m] vt. 重新开始，恢复

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation   南亚区域合作联盟，缩写 SAARC

Islamabad [is5lB:mEbB:d] 伊斯兰堡（巴基斯坦首都）