Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will stay at the same hotel when they visit New York for the landmark 70th UN General Assembly session this week, as speculation grows on whether the two leaders will meet.
Nawaz Sharif will stay at the iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel when he reaches New York on the evening of September 25, as will Modi when he arrives on Wednesday evening.
While there has been no official announcement about any possible bilateral meeting, it remains to be seen whether the two leaders will come face-to-face by chance during their stay in the hotel.
Sources said that a “chance meeting” could be arranged by the diplomats of the two countries during their stay. They point out that since Nawaz Sharif and Modi will also be attending the peacekeeping summit on 28th, the multilateral gathering will provide a forum for the two leaders to come face-to-face.
Modi will depart for India late September 28 or the early morning of September 29 but Sharif will remain in the city.
The Waldorf Astoria has traditionally been the hotel of choice for US presidents when they visit the city for the annual UN General Assembly sessions. However, last year a Chinese company purchased the hotel, triggering concerns of potential cyber intrusions by Chinese hackers if Obama stayed there. So, the US president and his staff will be staying instead at the New York Palace Hotel this time.