Terrorism is the 'gravest threat' that people in Asia face, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Saturday, while stating that terrorists and their victims must never be equated.
Addressing the fifth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit at Tajik capital, Jaishankar said that many CICA members are the victims of terrorism.
"Terrorism is the gravest threat that we face in Asia today. Many CICA members are victims of terrorism and should be clear that terrorists and their victims must never be equated," External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said in a statement.
"CICA has always shown a strong commitment to combat terrorism and extremism and adopt a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism," the statement added.
Jaishankar's remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the SCO Summit in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, stressed that countries "sponsoring, aiding and funding" terrorism must be held accountable, without naming any particular country.
The CICA is an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia.
Upon his arrival in Tajikistan, the External Affairs Minister was welcomed by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.
In the meeting, Jaishankar further reiterated India's commitment to 'Afghan-led and Afghan-owned' peace and reconciliation process.
"We believe all initiatives and processes must include all sections of Afghan society, including the legitimately elected Government," he said.
In addition, the globalisation is under stress due to new and emerging geopolitical and geo-economic faultlines, he noted in the statement.
"The recent India-Central Asia 5 Ministerial dialogue is a very positive development that can only enhance further cooperations and stability across our regions," the statement read.
It added, "India's vision of Indo-Pacific, as outlined by Prime Minister Modi in Singapore in June 2018, is rooted in advocacy of SAGAR- Security and Growth for All in the Region. It is in sync with the theme of this Summit "Shared Vision for a Secure and More Prosperous CICA Region."
The new External Affairs Minister arrived here on Friday for the 5th CICA Summit. The theme of the summit is "Shared Vision for a Secure and More Prosperous CICA Region." The Summit will adopt a declaration covering issues of cooperation within CICA.
India has been actively participating in various activities of the CICA since its inception in 1999.
Jaishankar also held a meeting with Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh on the sidelines of the Summit.
