Russia on Monday joined India in condemning terrorism in the strongest language yet used in bilateral documents.
Declaring “no tolerance for sheltering, arming, training or financing of terrorists,” the two sides condemned terrorist acts as “attacks on the freedom and democratic values” and “aimed at undermining the territorial integrity” of India and Russia.
“Such acts may have international linkages extending across and beyond the borders,” the two countries said in what Foreign Secretary described as “a hefty paragraph on terrorism” in a joint statement issued after the summit in Moscow.
“States that provide aid, abetment and shelter for such terrorist activities are themselves as guilty as the actual perpetrators of terrorism,” the statement said in an obvious reference to Pakistan.
Reaffirming the obligation of all states to curb terrorism from their territories “and areas under their control,” India and Russia urged such countries to “irreversibly shut down terrorist networks, organisations and infrastructure , and show tangible movement in investigating and bringing quickly to justice all those responsible for acts of terrorism.”
The joint statement said there can be no justification for terrorist acts, “such as the Mumbai terror attacks or [the] Beslan terrorist attack.”
Russia said it would like India to take part in the Syria peace process even as the two countries rejected military solution in the crisis-ridden Middle East country.
A joint statement issued at the summit said Russia “would welcome India’s participation in Geneva-2” international conference on Syria, being held jointly by Russia and the United States.
The two sides “expressed the strong belief that the crisis should not be resolved by force, and could be settled only through political means,” while India praised Russia’s role in reaching agreement on the destruction of Syria’s arsenals of chemical weapons.
Security Council seat
Russia has reiterated its “strong support” to India for a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council and for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Russia has also agreed to give “positive consideration” to India’s bid to join the Missile Technology Control Regime and to support its full membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
The two sides affirmed their commitment to further intensify political interactions in the Russia-India-China triangular format (RIC).
The statement gains significance in the context of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to China, where he goes from Moscow.
India and Russia stressed the importance of next month’s meeting of the RIC Foreign Ministers in New Delhi, saying it was “essential to continue consultations concerning regional security at the level of High Representatives of China, India and Russia.”
