Rajnath urges ASEAN, international community to support India’s fight against terrorism

New Delhi: A week after the “gruesome and cowardly” Pulwama terror attack, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged the ASEAN members and the international community to support India’s fight against terrorists and terror organisations.
“I condemn the gruesome and cowardly terrorist attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 on our brave security forces. I stand with my fellow countrymen shoulder to shoulder in grief and stand in solidarity with the family members of the martyrs. The government is firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security. We are equally reserved to fight against the menace of terrorism,” Rajnath said during his Valedictory Address at the 4th India-ASEAN Expo & Summit here.
“We urge the international community and our friends from ASEAN present in this summit to support our fight against terrorists and terrorist organisations. An environment of peace and security are prerequisites for trade and commerce to flourish. This Summit must acknowledge the fact and ensure that the soil of any country should not be used for propagating terrorism,” he added.
The Home Minister further emphasised that there “exists immense potential to strengthen and deepen cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations violent extremism and radicalization through Information sharing, Law enforcement cooperation and capacity building and Anti-money laundering and countering terror-financing.” Recalling the Delhi Declaration of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, which marked the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations, where it was agreed to deepen cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms, Rajnath said the 13th East Asia Summit (EAS) in November 2018 in Singapore, also adopted the EAS Statement on Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Returnees and hoped that the cooperation between the member states will move beyond statements and towards more practical cooperation.
While talking about the trade potential between India and the ASEAN, Rajnath Singh said that more than half of India’s foreign trade now goes to the East. He further called for increased people-to-people contact, connectivity and trade ties with the ASEAN nations.