Op Sindoor Outreach: Shinde-led delegation wraps UAE visit, reaffirms India's stance on terrorism
Abu Dhabi: The high-level all-party delegation from India led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde, on Saturday wrapped up the successful and productive visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), significantly enhancing bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism under the global outreach campaign of Operation Sindoor.
"The All-party delegation led by Eknath Shinde successfully concludes its highly productive visit to the UAE, further strengthening India-UAE cooperation in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," the Indian Embassy in the UAE posted on X.
Earlier on Friday, the Indian delegation paid obeisance at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, BAPS Hindu Temple and Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara in Abu Dhabi, conveying a strong message of harmony, tolerance and peaceful co-existence -- the values shared and cherished by India and the UAE.
The leaders also met Nikolay Mladenov, Director General of Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy of the UAE, and exchanged views on furthering cooperation between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi in counter-terrorism and combating radicalism.
On Thursday, the delegation interacted with the members of the Indian diaspora in Abu Dhabi, conveying a resolute stance and national consensus in collective resolve against terrorism.
It also held productive discussions with Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Director General, National Media Office of UAE, and discussed the role of media in countering terrorism and extremism.
The UAE has assured India that both countries will tackle terrorism together as the strong bilateral relationship extends beyond trade and culture, also encompassing security and strategic issues.
UAE's Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi -- Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of Federal National Council -- besides several other senior Emirati parliamentarians, also expressed full solidarity with India as the high-level all-party delegation from India called on them in Abu Dhabi.
As the delegation highlighted the perpetration of cross-border terrorism and efforts to cause social disharmony in India by Pakistan, Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan conveyed his deep condolences on the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attacks and said, "India and UAE will tackle terrorism together. The UAE will always stand by India."
The delegation then held substantive discussions with Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council, underscoring the precise, measured, and non-escalatory nature of Operation Sindoor against the barbaric terrorist attack on the tourists in Kashmir on April 22.
According to the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, during the meeting, Nuaimi stressed, "India-UAE relationship is beyond trade and culture, and encompasses security and strategic issues. Terrorism is against the whole of humanity and the international community must act now."
The delegation led by Shinde includes BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, and Manan Kumar Mishra, BJD's Sasmit Patra, IUML MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer, BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy.
Their ongoing visit marked the beginning of India's unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan's sustained role in cross-border terrorism, including the heinous April 22 Pahalgam attack.
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Hindus were killed, Christians were killed, and the most shocking was, I will tell my two distinguished women MPs colleagues to elaborate on it. How would you respond if a newlywed couple, just married 10 days ago, had come for the honeymoon, and before the wife's religious identity was asked and killed in cold blood, someone was married two months ago? It was barbarism in the extreme. This time Prime Minister said enough is enough, and this explains our rationale for the visit. Terrorism is a global cancer. This is troubling the whole world, and I would like to briefly give you the background.' Elaborating on the history of ties between India and Pakistan, he said, 'India and Pakistan have fought four conventional wars, many distinguished Indians sitting here in the front, they have seen those times. 48 First War, 65 Second War, 71 Third War, when Bangladesh was created, 99 the Kargil War. These are four conventional wars. 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