India and Singapore have underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as strategic partners. The fifth meeting of the Joint Working Group on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime between India and Singapore was held in New Delhi yesterday.

The Joint Working Group unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and reaffirmed the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism. It condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22nd April last year and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi, on 10th November last year and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable.

The JWG agreed that confronting terrorism requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner. The two countries renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism, including in the UN, ASEAN, Financial Action Task Force and other multilateral platforms.

The JWG discussed cooperation in combating terrorists and terror groups listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. It also agreed on the need to further strengthen information sharing to enhance timeliness and effectiveness of responses to cross-border threats. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Dr. Vinod Bahade and Deputy Secretary (Policy) in Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry, Ngiam Shih Chun.