The leaders of Pakistan and India
sat at the same table today for the first time in five months, but a Russian-led mediation effort failed to deliver a breakthrough between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee barely acknowledged each other's presence in the hall of an Asian security summit and traded angry words while troops exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir.
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Asked if he had met Mr Vajpayee or had had any contact with him, at the summit in Kazakhstan's commercial capital Almaty, General Musharraf said: "No, I didn't meet him. And no, I didn't shake hands with him."
"I shook hands with him once before....Maybe I was waiting for him to shake hands with me this time."
Russian President Vladimir Putin met both men separately in a lavish residence in Kazakhstan's Tien Shan mountains, but only Gen Musharraf said he had accepted an invitation to Moscow.
Gen Musharraf said he had expected Mr Putin to invite Mr Vajpayee to Moscow too, but the Russian leader made no mention of an invitation for Mr Vajpayee, squelching speculation that Mr Putin would persuade the two to meet in the Russian capital.
Mr Putin said both leaders had sent "very positive signals", but they still differed on the preconditions for direct talks. Gen Musharraf has offered to meet Mr Vajpayee, but India says it first wants Pakistan to do more to crack down on Islamic militants.
"We have repeatedly said that we are willing to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir, but for that, cross-border terrorism has to end," Mr Vajpayee said at the start of the 16-nation Asian summit.