Manmohan, Zardari meet in Russia

Marking their first encounter since the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari shook hands at the summit of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Russia. They will meet later for a 30-minute meeting where talks on terrorism will top the agenda.

Marking their first encounter since the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday shook hands and posed for cameras ahead of their talks Yekaterinburg, Russia.

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Manmohan Singh and Zardari met at the summit of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the Ball Room of Hotel Hyatt Regency where they are participating as observers.

They will meet later on Tuesday for a 30-minute meeting at the Silver Room of the hotel.

Terrorism will top the agenda at their first meeting since the Nov 26, 2008 terrorist attacks that led India to suspend the composite dialogue with Pakistan, officials said.

The SCO comprises Russia, China and Central Asian Republics, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyztan and Kazakhstan. This is the first SCO summit at which an Indian prime minister is participating since India, along with Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia, was included as an observer at the SCO four years ago.