Indian MPs hold anti-terrorism talks in Moscow
A delegation of Indian politicians from ruling and opposition parties has met members of Russia's upper and lower houses of parliament to present New Delhi's case against alleged terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
The politicians first held talks on Friday with the first deputy chair of the Committee on International Affairs, Andrey Denisov, and other senators, the Indian Embassy in Moscow said. This was followed by discussions with members of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
'The chairman of the State Duma, and all those present and those who are not with us now, 450 deputies of the State Duma, express condolences on the death of Indian citizens as a result of the terrorist attack in the town of Pahalgam in southern Kashmir,' the chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, told the delegation. 'I am confident that the organizers of this monstrous terrorist act will receive the punishment they deserve.'
The Indian delegation is also expected to meet Russian Foreign Ministry officials and leading experts from local think tanks. The group is one of seven multi-party delegations that have been sent to various countries to 'project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations,' according to a statement from the Indian Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
The plan to send the delegations was formulated after New Delhi received what it perceived as poor press coverage in the international media regarding its brief military confrontation against Pakistan, which was carried out in response to the April terrorist attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 people.
'We want to make a strong outreach to the world, to convey our resolve to fight terrorism. We want the world to come together to fight terrorism tooth and nail in all its forms and manifestations,' Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
🇮🇳 🇷🇺 | Together in the fight against terrorism !All-Party Delegation led by Hon'ble MP @KanimozhiDMK in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation with First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs H.E. Mr. Andrey Denisov and other Senators.… pic.twitter.com/oymYFIlQM4
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer his full support in New Delhi's fight against terrorism. Putin also strongly condemned the April terrorist attack in Kashmir.During the call, the leaders emphasized 'the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations of a special privileged partnership,' the Kremlin said in a statement. 'These relations are not subject to external influence and continue to develop dynamically in all directions.'
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