GURGAON, Nov 12:
Maintaining that terrorism is one of the “foremost concern” of the international community, India today demanded increased effectiveness of collective action to counter it with zero tolerance.
Speaking at the closed-door retreat session of the ASEM foreign ministers meeting here, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said, “All terror is unacceptable and must be tackled comprehensively.”
The minister also said that India supports the efforts made by the Afghan government to establish a peaceful dialogue with “all opposition groups but this process must be an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned reconciliation process, within the framework of the Afghan Constitution and the internationally accepted red lines.”
“The reconciliation process should not in any way, undermine the political, social, and economic progress witnessed in Afghanistan over the past decade,” Khurshid warned.
According to well informed sources, Khurshid emphasised that international terrorism continues to grow in sophistication and reach, “confronting many of our countries as a transnational menace”.
“Over the last few years, we have seen greater understanding amongst members of the international community that segmented approaches will not work.
“We must increase the effectiveness of collective action to counter terrorism with zero tolerance. We need concerted and cohesive global action against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Khurshid told the forum’s meeting on regional and international issues.
India also highlighted that “the principal threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability even today emanates from terrorism” with Khurshid asserting that peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of all of us, according to well informed diplomatic sources.
Development and security assistance during this period of transition and beyond to Afghanistan would be critical to build a peaceful, stable and resilient Afghanistan, Khurshid said while reiterating India’s commitment to the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war-torn country.
Significantly, Pakistan made no mention of terrorism in its speech and restricted itself to the role to be played by multilaterals in addressing issues of refugees and other matters of humanitarian assistance.
Many participants at the forum, which is being attended by 51 countries, 34 of which are represented by their foreign ministers, talked about the situation in Afghanistan. The EU appreciated India’s role in the war-torn country. (PTI)
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