India unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, Minister of State for External Affairs of India Kirti Vardhan Singh said during his speech at the plenary session of the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), APA reports.
He stated that terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to peace and security and that terrorist acts can under no circumstances be justified.
According to the minister, India advocates a firm policy of zero tolerance toward terrorism.
“We call on all member states to unite against cross-border terrorism, disrupt the activities of terrorist networks, dismantle their safe havens, and hold fully accountable those who support and finance terrorists,” he emphasized.
Kirti Vardhan Singh noted that security is the foundation of prosperity and that genuine trust cannot be built in an environment where the threat of terrorism persists.
He also stated that regional connectivity projects can contribute to the development of economic partnerships in Asia and to increasing common prosperity. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of ensuring that such projects do not become instruments of geopolitical influence.
The minister noted that regional connectivity projects should be transparent, financially sustainable and inclusive, and should be based on the principles of respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states.
In his speech, Kirti Vardhan Singh also touched upon the expansion of multilateral cooperation. He stated that the changing geopolitical environment makes it necessary to create flexible international institutions and ensure more active participation in global governance, including by countries of the Global South. According to him, multilateral efforts can play an important role in addressing issues such as climate change, food and energy security, illicit drug trafficking, organized crime, maritime security and pandemic preparedness.
Recalling that India is the coordinator of the priority area on counter-terrorism within CICA, the minister also highly assessed the organization’s role in strengthening regional trust and promoting sustainable development.
At the end of his speech, he called for continued joint action for the common prosperity of Asia.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
