Prez expresses India's concern over instability in Middle East

President Pranab Mukherjee has expressed India's concern about the spill over effects of instability in the Middle East Region, resulting in increased terrorist activities across the world, including in South Asia.

Replying to written questions from the Jordan Times ahead of his visit to Jordan, Palestine and Israel from October 10-15, President Mukherjee said, "The reality of global expansion of terrorism, including in Syria and Iraq and globalisation of the supply chain of terrorism is a matter of great concern to India, which has faced terrorism for almost four decades, largely sponsored from across our border."

Stating that India has sought to challenge and repudiate the terrorist narrative that global counter-terrorism efforts are directed against any particular religion or ethnic group, he said, "India is convinced that terrorism can be rolled back only through comprehensive and coordinated international cooperation combined with a strengthened and enforceable international legal regime."

Asserting that India strongly rejects religious fundamentalism and extremism as well as terrorism in all forms and manifestations, President Mukherjee said that given the commonality of security concerns of both India and Jordan, New Delhi looks forward to further strengthening cooperation in the area of security and counter terrorism.

Underlining that the global community needs to agree to a legal framework for diminishing and eventually defeating the scourge of terrorism, President Mukherjee said: "India will continue to strive for achieving progress in the finalisation of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, proposed by us first in 1996. It will be our endeavour to see that our core concerns are addressed during the fifth biennial review of the UN's Global Counter Terrorism Strategy scheduled in the 70th Session."

He added that it was essential to ensure that UN Counter Terrorism Mechanisms function in an objective manner and there was strict compliance by member states with the UNSC Sanctions Regime.