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India and Singapore strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, during the 5th meeting of the India-Singapore Joint Working Group (JWG) on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime held in New Delhi.
In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the Joint Working Group unequivocally condemned the "heinous terrorist attack" in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, in which 26 innocent people were killed, as well as the terror incident near Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, where a car explosion near the iconic monutment resulted in multiple fatalities, and caused injuries to several others. Both sides also stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable. "As strategic partners, India and Singapore underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism. The JWG unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and reaffirmed the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism," the statement read. "The JWG condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025 and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi, on November 10, 2025 and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable," it added. The meeting was held on Thursday and was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in the MEA, and Ngiam Shih Chun, Deputy Secretary (Policy) in Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs. The two sides reaffirmed the principle of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism and agreed that confronting terrorism requires sustained and comprehensive international cooperation. The JWG renewed its commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts through global platforms, including the United Nations, ASEAN, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and other multilateral mechanisms. The two countries also discussed cooperation in combating terrorists and terror groups listed under the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee and agreed to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms to improve responses to cross-border threats. During the meeting, the delegations discussed a wide range of traditional and emerging security challenges, including terrorist recruitment, cross-border movement of terrorists, radicalisation, abuse of technology for terrorist activities, and terror financing. They also exchanged views on regional and global terrorism threats, cybercrime, drug trafficking, and the nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism. The statement said both countries agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation through enhanced information sharing, law enforcement collaboration, capacity building, and exchange of best practices to counter terrorism and transnational crimes. "They also exchanged views on regional and global terrorism threat assessments, cybercrimes, drug trafficking and the nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism, and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in dealing with these challenges," the statement read. "They also agreed on further cooperation and collaboration, particularly in the sphere of sharing of information and best practices, law enforcement, and capacity building to counter terrorism and transnational crimes," it further stated. The Singapore delegation also visited India's Anti-Scam Centre during the visit. Both sides emphasised the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational scams and expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation through information exchanges and capacity-building initiatives. The MEA said the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime will be held in Singapore on a mutually convenient date. (ANI)
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