New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden spoke out against Pakistan for its terror support and called for perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice. They also voiced criticism of China’s bullying tactics without naming the country.
Both leaders also expressed their “deep concern” over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and mourned its tragic humanitarian consequences and called for respect for international law, principles of the United Nations (UN) charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty.
A joint statement released after the talks between Modi and Biden during the former’s ongoing visit to the US, said both countries stand together to counter global terrorism and unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.
President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including the Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The statement comes just two days after India hit out at China for blocking a move to designate Pakistan-based LeT leader Sajid Mir as a “global terrorist” by the UN, saying it shows a lack of genuine political will to fight the scourge of terrorism.
Modi and Biden condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and “called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks”.
They also called for the perpetrators of the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice.
The two leaders also noted with concern the increasing global use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the importance of working together to combat such misuse.
“They [Modi and Biden] welcomed the cooperation between our two governments on counterterrorism designations and homeland security cooperation, including in intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation, and called upon the Financial Action Task Force to undertake further work identifying how to improve global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” the joint statement said.
While the statement did not name China, it was critical of coercive tactics in the Indo-Pacific, in a veiled reference to China’s aggressive action.
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Respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and international law
The joint statement began with emphasis on the Quad (comprising Australia, India, Japan and the US) saying, “Our cooperation will serve the global good as we work through a range of multilateral and regional groupings — particularly the Quad — to contribute toward a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific”.
Modi and Biden reiterated their enduring commitment to a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous “India-Pacific region”, with respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and international law.
Both leaders expressed concern over coercive actions and rising tensions, and strongly oppose destabilising or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force.
“Both sides emphasized the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, in addressing challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas,” it said.
The two leaders also called on the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to respect freedom of movement.
They reiterated their strong support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan. They discussed the current humanitarian situation and concurred on the need to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
The leaders urged the Taliban to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593, which demands that Afghan territory should never be used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist attacks. Committing to continue close consultations on the situation in Afghanistan, the leaders emphasised the importance of formation of an inclusive political structure, the joint statement said.
Support to Ukraine
The joint statement further said that President Biden and Prime Minister Modi expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine — a reference to the Russia-Ukraine war — and mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences.
The leaders underscored the serious and growing impacts of the war on the global economic system, including on food, fuel and energy security, and critical supply chains. They called for greater efforts to mitigate the consequences of the war, especially in the developing world.
“Both countries further pledge to render continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. They called for respect for international law, principles of the UN charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty. Both countries concurred on the importance of post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine,” the statement said.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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