By IANS,
Addu Atoll (Maldives) : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in this picturesque Maldives island Wednesday to attend the eight-nation SAARC summit, the first time it is being held south of the equator.
Besides the summit, the highlight of his visit will be a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani later this week that is expected to push forward the peace process between the two neighbours.
He will also hold bilateral talks with South Asian leaders on the margins of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit.
Manmohan Singh was accorded a warm ceremonial welcome at Gan Island Airport before he headed in a speedboat to Addu Atoll.
He was received by Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed.
The 17th SAARC summit is themed “Building Bridges” and will culminate in a joint declaration Friday and four agreements, that includes a pact on creating a seed bank to boost agricultural productivity and another pact on setting up a rapid action force to combat natural disasters like cyclone and quakes.