India, Spain reaffirm commitment to fight terrorism

India and Spain have reaffirmed their commitment to fight terrorism in all its manifestations, reiterating the need for the entire international community to increase cooperation in the fight against terrorism through a comprehensive security-cum-development approach.

A joint statement by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said both countries have expressed concern about the spread of violent extremism, which poses a serious threat to the security of both Spain and India.

They also called for the implementation of the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy and early conclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

Both leaders also acknowledged the legacy of peace, reconciliation and cooperation fostered among nations by the United Nations and recognised its central role in the multilateral system. They further

reiterated the validity of the principles of the UN Charter, identifying areas where both countries could enhance bilateral cooperation, such as un peacekeeping missions, counter-terrorism and non-proliferation.

Swaraj and Margallo also explored possible areas of shared interest on the agenda of the UN Security Council, affirming the desirability of reforming the United Nations to strengthen its ability to address

contemporary global challenges more effectively through concrete outcomes.

Noting that Europe and South Asia are economically interdependent and closely linked in terms of security, both leaders underlined the importance of the ongoing security and defence cooperation between India and Spain, and welcomed the recent signing of the bilateral agreement for the exchange and mutual protection of classified information between their respective defence ministers.

During his official visit of India, Margallo also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.

India and Spain have a number of bilateral treaties and agreements with each other, with bilateral trade between the two nations from January to August 2014 standing at USD 3.37 billion.