‘No justification for terror for any reason’: India, Saudi Arabia condemn Pahalgam attack
India and Saudi Arabia have condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s famous tourist resort Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead and several others injured, saying there cannot be any justification for any act of terror for any reason whatsoever, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi cutting short his visit to the kingdom midway following the incident.
The attack marks the first major terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir this year and is considered the worst attack since 40 soldiers were killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama in February 2019.
The prime minister, who had arrived on Tuesday for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, cut short his trip and returned to India to review the situation. Modi had received a rousing reception—as even before his aircraft Air India One landed at Jeddah International Airport in Saudi Arabia, it was escorted by several Saudi Air Force F-15 fighter jets in a symbolic gesture of respect accorded to only the closest strategic allies.
In a joint statement issued by the two countries, following a meeting between PM Modi and the kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad Bin Salman yesterday, both leaders “strongly condemned the gruesome terror attack”.
“In this context, the two sides condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, and emphasised that this remains one of the gravest threats to humanity. They agreed that there cannot be any justification for any act of terror for any reason whatsoever. They rejected any attempt to link terrorism to any particular race, religion or culture,” the official readout said.
It added, “They welcomed the excellent cooperation between the two sides in counter-terrorism and the terror financing. They condemned cross-border terrorism, and called on all states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries, dismantle terrorism infrastructure where it exists, and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice swiftly. Both sides stressed the need to prevent access to weapons, including missiles and drones, to commit terrorist acts against other countries.”
Meanwhile, both India and Saudi Arabia expressed mutual commitment to work together on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), a strategic multi-modal connectivity initiative launched through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi. The IMEEC, seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), includes India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union.
The PM and Saudi Crown Prince also co-chaired the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). They have also signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in sectors including space, health, inward foreign surface parcel, and anti-doping and prevention.
Additionally, both India and Saudi Arabia have extended their full support for the international and regional efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Yemen. The two sides agreed on the importance to ensure the security and safety of waterways and freedom of navigation in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Both sides also agreed to further enhance co-operation to diversify their bilateral trade. India is currently Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia ranks as India’s fifth-largest trading partner in 2023-2024. They reiterated their desire to commence negotiations on the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA). India-GCC FTA is a framework agreement on economic cooperation between India and GCC, signed on 25 August 2004. The agreement provided that both the parties shall consider ways and means for extending and liberalising the trade relations and also for initiating discussions on the feasibility of a FTA between them. Accordingly, negotiations commenced with GCC. Two rounds of negotiations have been held so far in 2006 and 2008.
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