India, US hold crucial counter-terror meet: What was really on the agenda?

Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs of India, and Monica Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Counterterrorism in the United States Department of State, led their respective delegations.

"The meetings underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, reflecting the spirit and breadth of the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership," read a statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross border terrorism.

They expressed concern over the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and AI for terrorist purposes.

They strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, and the recent heinous terror incident near the Red Fort, New Delhi on November 10, and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable.

"The two sides reviewed a wide range of traditional and emerging threats and challenges such as terrorist recruitment, abuse of technology for terrorist purposes, and financing of terrorism. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation against challenges, including through training, cybersecurity, exchange of best practices, and information sharing through continued bilateral and multilateral efforts," the statement said.

Participants from India and the United States discussed strengthening law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including through information sharing and cooperation on mutual legal assistance requests.

As per an MEA released statement, both sides emphasised that confronting terrorism requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner.

Against this backdrop, the two sides renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism including in the UN, Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

"The two sides called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa’ida affiliates, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers, under the UN 1267 sanctions regime, ensuring their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo," the statement said.

Underscoring the growing convergence between India and the United States on counterterrorism, the Indian side thanked the U.S. Department of State for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

Both sides decided to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Designations Dialogue in the United States on a mutually convenient date.