India and France held counter-terror discussions

NEW DELHI: India and France have held back-to-back counter-terror discussions over the past fortnight amid frenetic developments in West Asia, with the Islamic State losing ground in both Syria and Iraq.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy on counter-terror, Syed Asif Ibrahim, travelled to Paris last week to hold a joint working group meet on counter-terror and attend Israel-Palestine conference, while French diplomatic adviser met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Delhi this week to discuss the emerging situation in India’s extended neighbourhood in the west. The two NSAs are also understood to have discussed other elements of strategic ties including defence partnership.

Officials said that France shares India’s concerns over Pakistan-based terrorism and terror infrastructure, and that counter-terror cooperation emerged as a critical element in Indo-French strategic partnership.

France has been directly impacted by terrorists from the West Asian and North African states, and in India there is growing concern over influence of IS among a section of youth travelling to West Asia. France’s efforts to convene Israel-Palestine conference, too, have been shaped by its concerns over Palestinian cause fuelling radicalisation among youth of the Muslim community.

Days after China blocked India’s proposal in the United Nations, France, a key member of the world body, has pitched for designating Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, saying there are “very strong arguments in favour” of such a move.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who was on a four-day India visit earlier this month, also sent out a message to China without naming it, saying, “The international community’s determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat.”

Since Jaish-e-Mohammad “is already included in the (sanctions) committee’s list of terrorist organisations”, he said “there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested”. That’s why, he said, France not only supported but also co-sponsored the Indian request at the UN Security Council.

During French President Francois Hollande’s visit to India in January 2016, the two countries had resolved to step up their bilateral cooperation, under the supervision of annual strategic dialogues and joint working group on counterterrorism meetings, to counter violent extremism and radicalisation, disrupt recruitment, terrorist movements and flow of foreign terrorist fighters, stop sources of terrorist financing, dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent supply of arms to terrorists.