Ban Ki Moon and Khurshid discuss Lanka

      The UN Secretary-General met with Mr. Salman Khurshid, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India.  He thanked India for its significant contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations and its generous assistance to development of Afghan security, economic and human capacities.  Mr Ban Ki Moon welcomed the recent talks held between India and Pakistan.  He also discussed developments in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Myanmar, stressing the importance of dialogue, inclusiveness and reconciliation, as well as India’s regional role.

Mr Ban Ki Moon paid tribute to India’s leadership in the post-2015 development agenda, in building capacity for disaster management, and in vital efforts to promote international agreement on climate change issues.

At their meeting in New York on Sunday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh pledged to find ways to restore calm on their disputed border in Kashmir as an initial step towards reconciliation.

An Indian official said that the two leaders have decided to task senior military officers to “find effective means to restore the ceasefire” in Kashmir.