Multi-party teams are on political mission against terror, says India

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar takes the cause to Europe while Foreign Secretary Misri visits Japan; Shrikant Shinde begins UAE visit with meetings in Abu Dhabi

The multi-party delegations being sent to various global capitals are part of a “political mission” that the Government of India is carrying out to convey its serious concerns about cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, said Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, on Thursday (May 22, 2025).

Mr Jaiswal’s remarks came as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar continued his engagements in Europe, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Tokyo engaged the National Security Advisor of Japan, Masataka Okano.

“The central idea behind this is that this is a political mission. We want to make a strong outreach to the world, to convey our resolve to fight terrorism. We want the world to come together to fight terrorism tooth and nail in all its forms and manifestations,” Mr. Jaiswal said during the weekly briefing.

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Explaining the purpose of the multi-party delegations that will visit 33 countries over the next fortnight, Mr. Jaiswal further said, “We want to exhort the world to hold those responsible for cross border terrorism accountable, those have been practising this for forty years against India — that is Pakistan — their actions need to be called out.”

India has announced seven multi-party delegations to leading partner countries, where they will meet principal political leaders and influencers. These groups, consisting of 59 delegates drawn from Members of Parliament, veteran diplomats and public figures, have started travelling out; first delegation left for the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

The delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde started its meetings in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and met with Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence of the UAE. “India and UAE will tackle terrorism together. The UAE will always stand by India,” said the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, summing up the remarks from Mr. Mabarak Al Nahyan.

The Embassy said the delegation conveyed to the UAE that the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam was aimed at creating “social disharmony” within India.

Also Read | UAE reaffirms its unwavering support for India in global fight against terrorism

‘Definitive end to terrorism’

India’s international campaign to highlight cross-border terrorism after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam was also amplified by Mr. Jaishankar, who is on a three-nation tour covering the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. In an interview with a Dutch publication on Wednesday, he said that India is seeking a “definitive end to terrorism”.

“Our message, therefore, yes, the ceasefire has put an end to military actions against each other for now, but if the terrorist attacks from Pakistan continue, there will be consequences. The Pakistanis must understand that very well,” he said.

Also Read | Pakistan expels Indian High Commission staffer

Japan outreach

India’s global-scale campaign against terrorism was also the theme for the visit to Japan that Mr. Misri carried out on Thursday. In a daylong visit to Tokyo, he conveyed India’s appreciation for the “support and solidarity” that came from Japan in the backdrop of the Pahalgam attack. He also met with National Security Adviser Mr. Okano and Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hiroyuki Namazu.

“Foreign Secretary’s visit and his meetings today provided yet another opportunity to reflect on and reaffirm the two countries’ shared determination to fight terrorism in all forms and manifestations as well as the support infrastructure behind acts of terror,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

Mr Misri’s visit coincided with the Japan visit by the multi-party delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. The delegation met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Thursday. “He emphasised that terrorism cannot be justified in any form and expressed solidarity of Japan with India and with the world in the fight against terrorism,” the MEA said in a statement, summing up Mr. Iwaya’s remarks.

Published - May 22, 2025 10:26 pm IST