The leaders of India and Pakistan are expected to meet in Russia
Tuesday for the first time since last year's terrorist attacks in
Mumbai.
Officials in Russia say Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari are likely to meet on the
sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Russian city Yekaterinburg.
Relations between neighboring India and Pakistan have been strained
since the Mumbai attacks, which left more than 170 people dead and at
least 300 wounded.
India has blamed the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for
the Mumbai attacks. It also has suggested members of the Pakistani spy
service were involved in the siege.
The government and the militant group deny taking part in the attacks.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an inter-governmental
organization founded in east China's Shanghai municipality to
strengthen regional trust and security.
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
founded the organization in 2001, and Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and
India later received observer status.