Strong Action Against Terrorists, Those Who Help Them: India-Argentina Joint Statement

  NEW DELHI:Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Monday said strong measures must be taken against terrorists and terror groups, and all those who encourage, support, finance and provide them safe havens.

No country should allow their territory to launch terrorist attacks on other countries, they said. Jorge Faurie, foreign affairs minister of Argentina said in an interaction with reporters that one of the major issues for discussion between the two leaders was terrorism.

He said Argentina had to deal with the menace in 1990s. Mr Macri is the first international leader to visit India after the attack that claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama last week.

Argentina has condemned the attack in "strongest terms". "I and President Macri agree with the view that terrorism is a serious danger to world''s peace and stability. The cruel attack in Pulwama shows that the time for talks has passed," PM Modi said in a press statement in presence of Mr Marci.

"Now it is required that the world unites against terrorism and those who support it. Hesitation to take action against terrorism and those who support it is akin to encouraging terrorism," PM Modi said, without naming Pakistan.

India and Argentina released a "Special Declaration to Fight Terrorism".

It said both leaders agreed that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and noted the need for concerted action by the global community against terrorism. They stressed, particularly emphasising the "scourge of cross-border terrorism", that there could be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever.

"They reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support, finance and provide safe haven to terrorists and terror groups," the special declaration said.

The two leaders also underscored the need to ensure that terrorist organisations do not get access to any Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) or technologies or finances and committed to cooperate in the specialised multilateral fora.