S Asian leaders don\\\'t sign expected deals

South Asian leaders flew to a mountain resort near Nepal’s capital on Thursday for a last ditch effort to reach agreements on roads, railways and energy, and for a much-anticipated meeting between Pakistan and Indian leaders. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, will likely come face to face at the retreat, but it is not clear if they will do more than exchange courtesies. ‘If they interact, exchange courtesies and exchange a few words, that does not translate as dialogue,’ Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said. The leaders boarded helicopters from Katmandu for a flight to Dhulikhel 30 kilometres (19 miles) away. The area is a popular viewing spot of the Himalayan mountains to the north. It is the final day of a 2-day summit for leaders from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the short trip gives them a final chance to reach agreements that were expected to be signed during the meeting. Officials have indicated that Pakistan made last-minute objections to the 3 agreements because of incomplete internal procedures. Akbaruddin said the other nations were disappointed and would likely bring up the issue at the retreat. Unless there is a consensus at the retreat, the summit would end without any significant agreements being signed, according to a news agency.