Counterterrorism in focus at 12th India-Russia Joint Working Group meeting in Moscow

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India and Russia held the 12th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Counter Terrorism and bilateral consultations on UN and other issues as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in multilateral platforms.

Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma visited Moscow on May 3-4 for the JWG on Counter Terrorism and India-Russia bilateral consultations on UN and multilateral issues, and held discussions, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release today.

The JWG meeting was co-chaired by Secretary (West) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Oleg Syromolotov on May 3 on Counter-Terrorism.

Participants in the conference from both sides included representatives of the relevant departments and agencies.

According to the official release, both parties reviewed their experiences in combating terrorism and extremism and discussed current terrorist threats at the global and regional levels. The Russian side lauded the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, which focused on preventing the exploitation of new and emerging technology for terrorist goals and expressed appreciation for India’s position as the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee’s Chair in 2022.

The India-Russia bilateral consultations on UN-related issues were held on May 4 with Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the MEA release stated.

Both parties had extensive discussions about a range of UNSC-related topics, including its reform. Russia reiterated its support for India as a permanent member of a reformed UN Security Council. (ANI)