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Group 1 of the all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda, met with India's Ambassador to Algeria, Dr Swati Vijay Kulkarni, as part of their diplomatic visit to the country.
The delegation arrived in Algeria on May 30 and is scheduled to depart on June 2. The visit comes in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including that of a foreign tourist. The Group 1 delegation, led by Baijayant Jay Panda, Member of Parliament and former Minister, includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Dr. Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. This leg of the diplomatic outreach follows earlier visits to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, as part of Operation Sindoor--India's global initiative to counter terrorism and mobilise international support in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. According to the Embassy of India in Algiers, the delegation will focus on countering cross-border terrorism, with special emphasis on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, and aims to deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation between India and Algeria on counter-terrorism intelligence and strategy. Before arriving in Algeria, the delegation spent two days in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they held extensive discussions with senior government officials, policy think tanks, media representatives, and the Indian diaspora. Baijayant Jay Panda told ANI that the talks were open and candid, particularly on the challenge of terrorism. "Saudi Arabia has a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, like us. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Saudi Arabia following the Pahalgam attack and the joint statement by both governments made it clear that there is no tolerance for any kind of terrorism," Panda said. He also highlighted the strengthening ties between India and Saudi Arabia in defence, counterterrorism, and trade, describing Saudi Arabia as a major regional power. The delegation also visited Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its traditional mud-brick architecture. The visit is part of India's broader Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 to target terror camps linked to multiple terror groups following the Pahalgam attack. The parliamentary delegation's mission underscores India's firm resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and build stronger international partnerships to address this global menace. (ANI)
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