India and France have condemned the ghastly terror attack in Pahalgam in April this year. Both sides exchanged views on the current threat assessment in the respective countries at the 17th Meeting of the India-France Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) held in France. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary, Counter Terrorism at the Ministry of External Affairs, K D Dewal, while the French delegation was led by French Counter-Terrorism Ambassador Olivier Caron.

 

 

 

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, informed that both sides assessed counter terrorism challenges, including State-sponsored cross-border terrorism, terrorist activities in the respective regions and the terror threat in West Asia. The two countries also discussed ways of combating extremism and radicalisation, and the threat posed by the use of new technologies by terrorists.

 

 

 

The discussions also focused on intensifying capacity-building measures through training and exercises. The two sides discussed cooperation in the UN, FATF and No Money for Terror. They also agreed to hold the 18th Meeting of the Joint Working Group in India.