ISLAMABAD - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Friday on a brief and unscheduled visit for talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

Sharif has reached the Allama Iqbal International Airport to receive Modi.

Modi's visit marked the first trip of an Indian prime minister to Pakistan in 12 years.

The visit comes some two weeks after the two countries agreed during a regional meeting in Islamabad to resume their official dialogue process that was suspended following the 2008 attacks in the Indian commercial center of Mumbai.

Modi was on his way home after a visit to Russia. He stopped off in the Afghanistan capital Kabul earlier on Friday.

Modi, who inaugurated a new parliament complex built with Indian help in Kabul, spoke to Sharif earlier on Friday to wish him on his 66th birthday.

"Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi," Modi tweeted.

The Indian prime minister's visit is seen very important as it is expected give a boost to the efforts to normalize relations between the two neighbors.