Moscow: Moscow on Friday reiterated its decisive commitment to an uncompromising joint fight with New Delhi against all forms of terrorism as an Indian multi-party Parliamentary delegation held wide-ranging discussion on counter-terrorism combat and briefed the Russian side on Operation Sindoor.
A Foreign Ministry statement issued after Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko met with the visiting parliamentary delegation expressing readiness to increase close cooperation on the issue at regional and global venues.
The delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi is in Russia to sensitise the diplomatic leadership about terror emanating from Pakistan, a month after the Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead.
“A decisive commitment to an uncompromising joint fight against all forms of terrorism was confirmed. Readiness was expressed to increase close cooperation on these issues at regional and global venues, primarily in the UN, BRICS and SCO,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.
Rudenko expressed hope for a speedy de-escalation of tensions in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad through peaceful diplomatic means.
The delegation was warmly welcomed by Rudenko at the Smolenskaya Square high-rise building built by Stalin for the Foreign Ministry.
“The participants exchanged views on the prospects for increasing cooperation between legislative bodies and emphasised the importance of intensifying the work of the bilateral Inter Parliamentary Commission,” the foreign ministry observed.
The Indian Parliamentarians also had “a fruitful interaction” with former prime minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Fradkov, who heads the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies (RISS), the Indian Embassy in Russia said in a post on X.
“They discussed the current global situation, particularly, the threats posed by terrorism,” it added.
The delegation had a detailed exchange of views at a round-table meeting with all-party members of the Russian Federation Assembly (Parliament) led by the Duma (lower house) International Affairs Committee chair Leonid Slutsky of Liberal-Democratic Party.
The delegation also met with First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs Andrey Denisov and other senators in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, said a post from the Indian Embassy in Russia.
“The Russian side condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and stated that Russia stands in solidarity with India for elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations! Russia and India have a shared position in the fight against terrorism. Russia India | Together in the fight against terrorism!” it added.
Earlier, the delegation arrived here late on Thursday night amid Ukrainian drone attacks.
Later in the day, the Indian team is scheduled to interact with top India and South Asia experts of local think-tanks.
On Saturday, they are scheduled to address a press conference and interact with the local media before leaving for Slovenia.
The Indian delegation is also scheduled to visit Greece, Latvia and Spain as part of the government of India’s diplomatic outreach post- Pahalgam when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared a “new normal” when New Delhi will consider any act of cross border terrorism as an act of war against India.
The delegation that Kanimozhi is leading is one of the seven multi-party delegations to 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror, especially in view of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
The other members of the delegation are Rajiv Rai of SP, Mian Altaf Ahmad of NC, Capt Brijesh Chowta of BJP, Prem Chand Gupta of RJD, Ashok Kumar Mittal of AAP and Ambassadors Manjeev S Puri and Jawed Ashraf.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.
The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
