India and the United States have called for bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai and Pathankot terrorist attacks and for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those proscribed by the UN Security Council, such as al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
The 20th meeting of the US-India Counter Terrorism Joint Working Group and the sixth Designations Dialogue was held in Washington on Tuesday. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State, and Ambassador K D Dewal, Joint Secretary, Counter Terrorism at the Ministry of External Affairs, led their respective delegations.
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The two countries emphasised the extraordinary value and durability of the US-India comprehensive global and strategic partnership and renewed their commitments to countering terrorism and promoting regional security as an integral part of their broader bilateral cooperation.
Both sides reiterated that terrorism remains a serious threat to international peace and security. Countering terrorism remains an important element in ensuring prosperity and peace for Americans, Indians, and global citizens, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
The two nations reviewed emerging threats and tactics in terrorism, including the use of the internet and new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, international movement of terrorists, terrorist recruitment, the financing of terrorist activities, and radicalization to violence and violent extremism. They committed to information sharing, capacity building, and continued bilateral and multilateral efforts to address these threats.
The two sides committed to strengthening law enforcement and judicial partnerships in support of the rule of law, including through information sharing and enhanced cooperation on mutual legal assistance requests.
Both sides also exchanged information regarding priorities and procedures for designating various terrorist entities/ groups and individuals.
They reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation in the Quad Counterterrorism Working Group and other multilateral fora and processes such as the United Nations, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for advancing shared security interests within the region while supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.