India-Russia hold talks on combating terrorism

(PTI) New Delhi: Expressing concern over continuous threat of cross-border terrorism, India and Russia on Wednesday held comprehensive discussions on combating international terrorism and reaffirmed their commitment to consolidate bilateral interaction in the fight against the scourge.

In the seventh meeting of the India-Russia Joint Working Group (JWG), the two countries emphasised that their cooperation in countering new challenges and threats is an integral part of the Indian-Russian special and privileged strategic partnership.

The talks were co-chaired by Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador Alexander Zmeevsky, Special Representative of the President of the Russia on International Cooperation in Combating Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime.
India-Russia hold talks on combating terrorism

The two countries underlined the role of international efforts in preventing and suppressing terrorism including the consistent implementation of the UN Global Counter-terrorism Strategy and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

"They noted the importance of the early conclusion of the negotiation process aimed at agreeing within the framework of the UN General Assembly on the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) that was put forward by India," an official statement said.

"(They)expressed mutual concern about the continuous threat of cross-border terrorism, and reaffirmed their commitment to consolidate bilateral interaction in the fight against this global scourge," it said.

The two countries also noted that India and Russia have a significant capacity for developing their interaction in countering the criminal proceeds laundering and financing terrorism, and establishing a partnership dialogue within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and modelled on it the Eurasian Group (EAG) on Combating Money-Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism.

Expressing concern about the issue of drug trafficking which they said undermines peace and stability in the region, the two sides noted the need to step up their interaction on the basis of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors signed in 2007.