India attends Int'l conference in Paris on combating terror funding

A high-level Indian delegation has been sent to attend a two-day international conference in Paris on combating the financing of terror outfits such as Islamic State (IS) al-Qaeda and other affiliates, which commenced on Wednesday.

The Indian delegation is headed by Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs M J Akbar and is comprised of Deputy National Security Advisor Rajinder Khanna, Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry Mahaveer Singhvi, Director-General of National Investigation Agency (NIA) Yogesh Chander Modi among others, the French Embassy, said in a statement.

Welcoming India's engagement, Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler said, "As the hosting country, France is delighted that India is sending a high-level, comprehensive delegation to the event. This impressive participation is both a reflection of counter-terrorism being a shared priority for our two countries, and the excellence of our partnership in this regard."

More than 70 countries and nearly 30 international organisations including the International Monetary Fund, United Nations, Interpol, League of Arab States World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have participated in the conference which is being organized by the French Government, according to several media reports.

The conference will end with a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday afternoon.