US welcomes Modi-Sharif meeting

The US has welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Russia on Friday, saying the tension between the two south Asian neighbours is not in anyone's interest. "We welcome the meeting between Indian and Pakistani leaders there on the sidelines of this conference," State department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday at his daily news conference when asked about the Modi-Sharif meeting in Ufa.
"We also welcome any steps that both countries can take to try to reduce the tensions. That's been our longstanding position," Kirby said. "We want to see the tensions reduced, and we want to see these issues resolved bilaterally between the two countries. It's in nobody's interest for the tensions to rise and to increase, and for the tensions in the region to become less stable in many ways than they already are," he said. Responding to a question, Kirby said both the leaders want peace and that's certainly what the US wants as well.