Islamabad: Unlike the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu two years ago when Indo-Pak tensions weighed heavily, the meeting of SAARC leaders opened today on a cordial note.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was warmly received by his Pakistani counterpart Zafarullah Khan Jamali at the foyer of the sprawling Jinnah Convention Centre.

Reflecting a spirit of bonhomie, the two leaders walked together to the dais for the inaugural session.

At the Kathmandu Summit, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf took everyone by surprise when, after his speech, he walked up to Vajpayee for the "famous handshake".

The media focus then was on body language, eye contact and other gestures between two leaders.

Just before the inaugural ceremony today, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri affectionately hugged each other, exchanged pleasantries and were seen together for sometime before others joined them.