India, US agree to take swift, credible steps to counter terrorism

Washington, June 4 (ANI): India and United States on Thursday agreed that there was a need to take swift and credible steps to counter the menace of terrorism worldwide.

In a joint statement issued after the first US-India Strategic Dialogue held at the State Department here, both External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed grave concern over recent incidents in the United States and India that remind that terrorism and violent extremism know no boundaries and remain continuing threats to global, regional, and domestic security.

Acknowledging the importance of continued cooperation in efforts to defeat terrorism, both reaffirmed the critical principle that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism in any form.

"They called for swift and credible steps to eliminate terrorist safe havens and vowed to strengthen global consensus and legal regimes against terrorism, including by working together at the UN toward adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that strengthens our efforts in combating terrorism," the joint statement said.

Heralding the unprecedented and expanding India-U.S. counter-terrorism partnership, as embodied in the recently announced U.S.-India Counter-terrorism Cooperation Initiative to enhance collaboration, Secretary Clinton reiterated the continued U.S. commitment to provide full cooperation and support in ongoing counter-terrorism investigations, including through continued exchanges of information between designated agencies and by bringing the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terrorism attack to justice.

Both Krishna and Clinton reiterated their shared goal of advancing security and stability across Asia, in particular, through the emergence of an open, balanced, and inclusive architecture of cooperation in the region.

The joint statement said that Clinton welcomed India's leadership role in helping to shape the rise of a stable, peaceful and prosperous Asia. They shared their perspectives on South and Central Asia, East and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean regions and pledged to expand regular high-level exchanges on regional issues of mutual concern. (ANI)