UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the meeting between leaders of Pakistan and India at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, a UN spokesman said.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif held an hour-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Mamohan Singh in New York on Sunday during which they agreed to stop the recent spate of attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region in order to advance for peace talks.

“He (Secretary-General) welcomed the recent talks held between Pakistan and India,” Spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The spokesman added, “He (Secretary-General) thanked India for its significant contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations and its generous assistance to development of Afghan security, economic and human capacities.”

“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.”