'Barak held secret talks with Musharraf'

The Israeli war minister held a secret meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Paris last week, a new report claims.

The officials met each other by chance last Tuesday in the hotel where Israeli war Minister Ehud Barak was staying during his visit to France, and spoke briefly, Israel's Channel 2 reported Sunday.

On the following day, Musharraf invited Barak for a meeting that focused on Iran's nuclear program and Israel's concerns that Pakistan's nuclear secrets might fall in the hands of extremists, the report added.

According to the report, the meeting lasted about an hour, during which Barak expressed his concern over the growth of insurgency in Pakistan.

Musharraf, for his part, reassured Barak that his country's nuclear weapons were well-secured and that there was no risk they would end up in the wrong hands.

Israeli war ministry officials confirmed that the meeting had taken place.