India, Russia to step up counter-terror measures & coordination amid rising threats in Af-Pak region & Eurasia

New Delhi: India and Russia on Wednesday held a brainstorming session on adopting measures and strengthening coordination to counter terrorism in South Asia and Eurasia.

The decision to widen counter-terror cooperation was taken at the Vice Minister-level Joint Working Group meeting held here. The meeting was co-chaired by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinski and Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sibi George. Representatives from the relevant agencies of both countries also participated in the consultations.

Against the backdrop of their strong bilateral security partnership, both sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and called for concerted action against terrorists, terrorist groups, and their proxies and affiliates, an official said. They shared their assessments of regional and global terrorism and agreed to enhance cooperation to address challenges such as radicalisation, terror financing, and the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, the official added.


It has been learnt that during the meeting, the two sides shared perspectives on cross-border terrorism in the Af-Pak region and Eurasia, including Central Asia, with a specific focus on the growth of ISIS and its spillover impact.

During the discussions, Moscow flagged concerns over Ukrainian drones and drone operators allegedly aiding terrorists in India's immediate neighbourhood, and sensitised New Delhi to cross-border threats posed by drones used by non-state actors, it has been learnt.

The Russian and Indian delegations discussed their national experiences in combating terrorism and extremism and exchanged views on current global and regional terrorist threats. They reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and constructive engagement in multilateral forums, primarily the UN, BRICS, the SCO and the EAG, according to the official.

The participants also discussed coordinating international efforts to counter the use of modern technologies for terrorist purposes and the spread of terrorist and extremist ideologies, as well as curbing the financing of terrorism and other forms of material support for terrorist activities, the official said.