The Indian delegation was led by K.D. Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter-Terrorism), MEA, while Olivier Caron, France’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, headed the French side
Both countries jointly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Representational Pic/File
India and France have reiterated their firm commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms during the 17th meeting of the India-France Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism, held in Paris. The meeting took place on Thursday, an official statement issued byIndia’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, reported the IANS.
The Indian delegation was led by K.D. Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter-Terrorism), MEA, while Olivier Caron, France’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, headed the French side.
Both countries jointly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which recently claimed 26 lives. The statement highlighted the shared concerns about terrorism and the growing need for stronger cooperation between the two nations to deal with evolving global threats.
The delegations exchanged views on threat assessments in both countries. Discussions covered a wide range of issues, including State-sponsored cross-border terrorism, terrorist operations in South Asia and the Middle East, and the misuse of emerging technologies by terror networks, as per an IANS report.
A major area of focus was the threat of online radicalisation and extremism. Both sides acknowledged the rising danger of terrorist propaganda and recruitment through digital platforms and called for joint efforts to counter these risks.
India and France also explored greater cooperation at international platforms like the United Nations (UN), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the No Money for Terror (NMFT) initiative.
The MEA noted, "The discussion on bilateral and multilateral cooperation focused on intensifying capacity-building measures through training and exercises. The two sides discussed cooperation in the UN, FATF and NMFT," according to the IANS.
In addition, the two countries explored expanding the scope of their counter-terrorism dialogue to include organised crime, cybersecurity threats, and the exchange of information on online propaganda.
The MEA stated that both nations were keen to enhance capacity building, including training, joint exercises, and better information exchange. They also discussed widening the dialogue to include organised crime, cybersecurity threats, and the fight against online extremist content, the news agency reported.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to hold the 18th JWG meeting in India at a mutually convenient date.
(with IANS inputs)
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