IS greatest challenge facing international community: Narendra Modi

Modi said the only way to combat international terrorism and the menace of organisations like IS was to have a global response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acknowledged that the dreaded terror group Islamic State poses one of the greatest challenges facing the international community today and said there is a need to "delink terrorism from religion".

During a meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, Modi discussed ways to prevent radicalisation of youth and to counteract extremist messaging, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said after the meeting yesterday.

"Both leaders acknowledged that ISIS was one of the greatest challenges facing the international community. The Prime Minister said that there is a need to delink terrorism from religion," Swarup said.

Modi said the only way to combat international terrorism and the menace of organisations like IS (also known as ISIS) was to have a global response.

He specially referred to the long pending proposal of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, saying the time has now come for the international community to speak on one voice on this important issue and adopt this global convention.

Modi and King Abdullah also discussed the UN Security Council reform.

"Prime Minister mentioned that it was inconceivable that a country as large as India representing one sixth of humanity was not in the Security Council," he said.

"This was something we have been agitating for a long time. We want that the 70th anniversary of the United Nations to be an occasion for the international community to step up to its obligations and reform this very important body of the United Nations," Swarup said.

The King of Jordan said he has fully supported this and he always supported India's aspirations to be a permanent member of the Security Council, he said, adding that Jordan is a very important country in a very important region from India's point of view.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister commended King Abdullah for the strong leadership that he has shown in the fight against international terrorism.

He also thanked the King for the support that Jordan had provided when Indian citizens were trapped in Iraq and Syria and have to be evacuated.

King Abdullah said he valued India as a partner and wanted to increase the economic and security co-operation that Jordan has with India, Swarup added.