Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made a surprise visit to Pakistan to meet Nawaz Sharif in a move that evoked positive reactions across the globe.
The US welcomed Modi-Sharif meeting, saying that improved ties between the two countries will benefit the entire region.
"We welcome the December 25 talks between PM Modi and PM Sharif in Lahore. As we have long said, better relations between neighbours India and Pakistan will benefit the people of the entire region," a state department spokesman said.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the surprise meeting between the two leaders in Lahore, hoping that the bilateral dialogue will be maintained and strengthened going forward.
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"The secretary-general has long been encouraging both leaders of the two countries to engage in dialogue. He obviously welcomes this visit and this step in the right direction and he hopes that the dialogue will be maintained and strengthened," a UN spokesperson said when asked about the UN chief's response to Modi's visit to Pakistan.
The world media also reported the surprise meeting as a positive move.
In a news report, CNN described the meeting as a significant development. "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Pakistan on Friday -- a significant sign the icy relationship between the two neighbours is thawing," it said.
The Washington Post said Modi has "pressed the reset button on the blow-hot-blow-cold relationship" between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, paving the way for official dialogue to resume next month.
The Chicago Tribune reported: "The previously unannounced visit is a potential sign of thawing relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours."
Injecting an element of drama into the see-saw India-Pakistan ties, PM Modi took the world by surprise by announcing in a tweet from Kabul that he will "drop by" in Lahore to greet Sharif on his 66th birthday on Friday.
Modi, on his way back home from Kabul, made a sudden stopover in Lahore to meet Sharif and attend a family weeding.
