Onlykashmir.in News Desk
India and Italy have agreed to strengthen their Joint Initiative on Countering Financing of Terrorism, as the two countries held the sixth meeting of their Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sibi George received Paolo Mari, Director for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who is on a visit to the Indian capital to co-chair the meeting.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that on the occasion Mr George and Mr Mari condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They also discussed measures to deepen counter terrorism cooperation between the two nations and to carry forward the Joint Initiative on Countering Financing of Terrorism.
The meeting reflects the steady growth of strategic ties between New Delhi and Rome in recent years. Both countries have placed terrorism and its financing high on their bilateral agenda, and have repeatedly said that terror networks cannot be tackled without choking the money flows that sustain them. India, which has faced cross border terrorism for decades, has consistently urged partners to act against safe havens, to deny financing to terror groups and to pursue those who provide them support. Its experience in Jammu and Kashmir, in particular, has made the issue of terror financing a priority in its diplomatic outreach.
Italy, for its part, holds significant weight in multilateral forums, and the portfolio of the Italian official who visited includes G7 and G20 matters as well as transnational threats. That makes the dialogue relevant beyond the bilateral track, since both countries work together in bodies that shape global standards on anti-money laundering and counter terror finance, including the Financial Action Task Force framework in which they are both members.
Joint working groups of this kind allow officials to exchange assessments on emerging threats, share best practices on intelligence cooperation, border management and financial investigation, and coordinate positions in international organisations. They also provide a regular channel through which each side can raise concerns and review progress on earlier commitments.
By agreeing to take the financing initiative forward, India and Italy have signalled that cooperation in this area will continue to be a pillar of the partnership at a time when global security conditions remain unsettled. Diplomatic observers say the exchange also complements wider engagement between the two countries on trade, technology, defence and maritime issues, which have gathered pace in recent years.
No further specifics of the discussions were made public. Both sides are expected to continue consultations through their established mechanisms.
