<p>Krishna met Khar briefly at a reception hosted by the Pakistani Mission to the UN at an up-scale New York hotel. Khar later escorted Krishna to his vehicle as he left the reception.<br />Noting that the Pakistani delegation was "obviously very very happy" with his presence at the reception, Krishna said he too was "very pleased" with his visit to the social gathering.<br /><br />Krishna said Khar too expressed pleasure with his presence. Krishna quoted Khar, who told him that "look at all the smiles at every Pakistani face."<br /><br />"She was extremely warm and I was very pleased that I did go to the reception," Krishna told reporters later.<br /><br />He said such social exchanges are part of the overall attempt that "we have been making with all seriousness to normalise relations with Pakistan."<br /><br />"These gestures will certainly go a long way in improving bilateral relationship. I am happy that I did go there," he said.<br /><br />Echoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's sentiments that a country cannot choose its neighbours, Krishna said it is necessary to normalise relations with Pakistan.<br /><br />"The fact is Pakistan happens to be a close neighbour with which we have connection, both in terms of civilisation, we have same common history, background and language. Hence it is necessary to normalise relationship" with it.</p>
<p>Krishna met Khar briefly at a reception hosted by the Pakistani Mission to the UN at an up-scale New York hotel. Khar later escorted Krishna to his vehicle as he left the reception.<br />Noting that the Pakistani delegation was "obviously very very happy" with his presence at the reception, Krishna said he too was "very pleased" with his visit to the social gathering.<br /><br />Krishna said Khar too expressed pleasure with his presence. Krishna quoted Khar, who told him that "look at all the smiles at every Pakistani face."<br /><br />"She was extremely warm and I was very pleased that I did go to the reception," Krishna told reporters later.<br /><br />He said such social exchanges are part of the overall attempt that "we have been making with all seriousness to normalise relations with Pakistan."<br /><br />"These gestures will certainly go a long way in improving bilateral relationship. I am happy that I did go there," he said.<br /><br />Echoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's sentiments that a country cannot choose its neighbours, Krishna said it is necessary to normalise relations with Pakistan.<br /><br />"The fact is Pakistan happens to be a close neighbour with which we have connection, both in terms of civilisation, we have same common history, background and language. Hence it is necessary to normalise relationship" with it.</p>