NEW DELHI: Hours after the joint inauguration of work on India’s first bullet train, India and Japan Thursday strongly pitched for a “zero-tolerance” approach towards terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation against terror groups like Al-Qaida and Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba.
The two countries signed 15 agreements in key areas, including civil aviation, trade after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe as they discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in strategic areas of defence, security, trade and civil nuclear energy.
Modi and Abe emphasised the need for stronger international partnership in countering terrorism and violent extremism, including through increased sharing of information and intelligence. They called for enhanced bilateral cooperation in this regard.
“The two Prime Ministers also called on Pakistan to bring to justice, the perpetrators of terrorist attacks including those of the November 2008 attack in Mumbai and the 2016 terrorist attack in Pathankot. They looked forward to the convening of the fifth India-Japan Consultation on Terrorism and to strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lakshar-e-Toiba, and their affiliates,” according to the joint statement issued after the summit meet.
The two leaders condemned in the “strongest terms” the growing menace of terrorism and violent extremism, it said.
The two prime ministers also called upon all countries to work towards rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and financial channels and halting cross-border movement of terrorists, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.
The statement also said Modi and Abe called upon all UN member countries to implement UNSC resolution 1267 and other relevant resolutions dealing with the designation of terrorist entities.
Without mentioning China or South China Sea, the two leaders deliberated upon important regional and global issues and affirmed strong commitment to their values-based partnership in achieving a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty and international law are respected, and differences are resolved through dialogue, and where all countries, large or small, enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight.
The leaders also noted progress in cooperation on defence equipment and technology, including the commencement of technical discussion for research collaboration in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicles and Robotics.