India steadfast in its 'zero-tolerance' policy towards terrorism: Def Secy

India remains steadfast in its "zero-tolerance" policy towards terrorism and robust domestic mechanisms and strong regional cooperation are needed to effectively combat the menace, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Wednesday.

Singh was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day conclave of 10-nation Asean grouping and some of its dialogue partners, hosted by India in the national capital.

The defence secretary said threats of terrorism are increasingly transcending borders, and the use of advanced technology, cyber tools and unmanned systems by terrorist groups necessitates a cohesive and action-oriented approach to combat the challenge.

The Indo-Pacific region, given its geopolitical and economic significance, is particularly vulnerable to transnational terrorism and violent extremism, which calls for a comprehensive, adaptive and deeply collaborative response, he said.

The conclave of the experts working group (EWG) on counter-terrorism under the framework of the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) mechanism is deliberating on the evolving regional security challenges.

The ADMM-Plus is a platform comprising 10-nation Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and its eight dialogue partners -- India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the US.

"India remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and believes in an approach that combines robust domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing and strong regional cooperation," Singh said.

The defence secretary emphasised that, through the ADMM-Plus platform, India seeks to build synergy among the defence forces, security agencies and policy frameworks to address emerging threats effectively.

"In the complex, hyper-connected and fast-paced world, social and ecological systems are fragile," he said.

"It is important to assess this risk to empower the governments in priority setting and decision making," he said.

Singh argued that terrorism can destabilise governments, undermine civil society and threaten social and economic development.

"We have a collective obligation to provide the decision-makers guidance to understand uncertainty and better weigh the impact on decision-making," he said.

The first day of the conference witnessed the handing over of the chairship of ADMM-Plus EWG on Counter-Terrorism to India and Malaysia from Russia and Myanmar for a three-year cycle.

The defence secretary voiced the commitment of the new co-chairs towards ensuring that the efforts over this cycle yield practical and meaningful results.

"By leveraging our collective expertise, enhancing capacity-building, and fostering deeper trust and cooperation, we can significantly strengthen regional security and counter-terrorism preparedness," he said.