Brussels: India and the European Union (EU) held their 15th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism (CT) in Brussels, reiterating their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. The two sides agreed that terrorism is a global phenomenon and requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner.
Director for Security and Defence Policy in the European External Action Service, Maciej Stadejek and Joint Secretary (Counter-terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs K D Dewal co-chaired the dialogue held in Brussels on September 9.
“Against this backdrop, the EU and India stressed the importance of cooperation in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the FATF. The dialogue facilitated a comprehensive exchange on domestic, regional, and global threat assessments. The participants emphasized that instability and conflicts in various regions of the world act as catalysts for terrorism and violent extremism,” read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
During the Dialogue, the EU and India shared updates regarding the key developments of their respective counter-terrorism policies and discussed important topics in the fight against terrorism. These include measures to counter terror financing, prevent online radicalisation, continued exchange on designation of terrorists and terrorist entities and addressing the implications of emerging technologies.
“The two sides also explored ways to strengthen their CT cooperation and identified areas of future collaboration. The next meeting of the Joint Working Group would take place in New Delhi on a mutually convenient date,” the MEA stated.
Both sides also condemned the heinous terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam with the EU reiterating its condolences to India for the murder of innocent civilians. The two sides agreed that terrorism is a global phenomenon and needs concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner. Against this backdrop, the EU and India stressed the importance of cooperation in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the FATF.
“The EU and India also shared updates on the key developments of their respective counter-terrorism policies and discussed important topics in the fight against terrorism. These include measures to counter the financing of terrorism, prevent online radicalization, continued exchange on designation of terrorists and terrorist entities and address the implications of emerging technologies,” the EU emphasised in a statement after the meeting.
The dialogue facilitated a comprehensive exchange on domestic, regional, and global threat assessments. The participants emphasised that instability and conflicts in various regions of the world act as catalysts for terrorism and violent extremism.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reaffirming the shared commitment for an early conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and implementation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic (IMEEC) Corridor.
The leaders welcomed progress in bilateral relations in key sectors such as trade, technology, investment, innovation, sustainability, defence, security and supply chain resilience with PM Modi inviting Costa and von der Leyen to visit India for the India-EU Summit. The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“As the world’s largest democratic forces, India and EU share a strong and close relationship built on trust, shared values, and a common vision for the future. The leaders underlined the role of the India-EU Strategic Partnership in jointly addressing global issues, fostering stability, and promoting a rules-based order for mutual prosperity,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the phone call.
During the telephonic conversation, PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and early restoration of peace and stability in the region. The leaders agreed to remain in touch.
(IANS)
