India calls for out-of-box solutions to end terrorism

New Delhi, Aug 25 (UNI) India today stressed the necessity for out-of-the box responses to challenges of security and called for joint efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, in his inaugural address at the third Ministerial meeting of the 'Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Almaty (Kazakhstan), said the emergence of complex and trans-national threats and security challenges necessitated ''crafting of security responses that go beyond traditional solutions.'' Some of these issues were previously viewed as law and order problems, which required intervention by frontline agencies dealing with pandemics and sea piracy, he said at the meeting, according to an External Affairs Ministry spokesman here .

Pointing out that terrorism was the most dangerous threat in Asia today, the Minister said no goal or grievance could justify the scourge and there was a common need to combat extremism and terrorism, specially in CICA countries.

The CICA Process was initiated by Kazakhstan President Nursukltan Nazarbayev at the 47th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York in 1992, where he proposed setting up of an efficient global system to ensure security of the Asian continent.

The first Ministerial meeting was held on September 14, 1999, and the second meeting on October 22, 2004.

India has always been supportive of the CICA process.

Mr Sharma led the six-member Indian delegation at the Conference which was inaugurated by President Mr Nazarbayev.

The meeting inducted Jordan and UAE as CICA member tates and Qatar was given an Observer Status.

The heads of delegation adopted a Ministerial Declaration, which outlines the blueprint of common understanding reached among participating States on peace, security and stability in the region.

The Minister announced thar India would host the next round of the CICA Special Working Group/Senior Officials Committee meetings on February 18-20, 2009.

Today's meeting also adopted the protocol amending the Statute of the CICA Secretariat and in principle adopted the Convention of Legal Capacity and the Immunities and Privileges of Personnel of CICA.

On the margins of the Ministerial meeting, Mr Sharma held a bilateral meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin, covering a wide range of issues of shared interest.

Mr Tazhin articulated his country's interest in cooperation in the fields of high technology, textiles and space.

The day-long meeting was attended by delegations from 18 CICA member-states, six observer states and three international observer organisations including the UN, the OSCE and the League of Arab States.

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