Moscow: India on Tuesday said that the world must display “zero tolerance” towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, asserting that there can be no justification, no looking away, and “no whitewashing”.
“As India has demonstrated, we have the right to defend our people against terrorism, and will exercise it,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting here.
Jaishankar said India believes that the SCO must “adapt to the changing global landscape, develop an expanded agenda, and reform its working methods”.
Notably, his sharp remarks come just days after the Centre directed that the November 10 car explosion near the Red Fort be treated as a terror attack and handed over the probe to the NIA.
Jaishankar, who began a three-day visit to Russia with his arrival in Moscow earlier in the day, is attending the SCO Heads of State Council meeting and holding a series of high-level engagements ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s expected visit to New Delhi next month.
Soon after landing, he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for wide-ranging talks covering bilateral, regional and global issues, including cooperation in the SCO, BRICS, the UN, and the G20, according to Russia’s state-run TASS agency.
During the meeting, Jaishankar noted the importance of frank exchanges amid a turbulent world order.
“We will also be exchanging views on the complex global situation with the openness that has always characterised our ties,” he said, listing the Ukraine conflict, developments in the Middle East, and the situation in Afghanistan among key areas of discussion.
India, he added, supports recent international efforts aimed at peace.
“An early cessation of the conflict and ensuring an enduring peace is in the interest of the entire international community.”
He stressed that India-Russia relations have “long been a factor of stability in international relations,” asserting that their continued growth is not only mutually beneficial but also contributes to global stability.
