PHILIPPINES: India on Tuesday urged the ASEAN and its dialogue partners to address the critical issue of terrorism collectively in all its forms and manifestations.
“We should be clear and unequivocal in our condemnation of terrorism,” Defence MInister Nirmala Sitharaman said, addressing the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (Admm Plus) here.
Terrorism, she said, is now a trans-national phenomena which requires strong collective action by all members of the global community. “The transnational activism of terrorist groups, the spectre of returning foreign fighters and the conduct of irresponsible states that provide safe havens, funding and even encouragement to terrorist groups all need to be addressed together and comprehensively”, he added.
Reiterating India’s zero tolerance for terrorism anywhere and under any circumstances, she said, “Terrorism anywhere is a threat everywhere. There are no good terrorists.” ADMM-Plus include 10 ASEAN countries –Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam– and their eight dialogue partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
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