New Delhi: The 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting - Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism convened on Wednesday, urging the development of domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and robust regional cooperation to tackle terrorism.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Indian Defence Ministry announced that the meeting is taking place in New Delhi, with representatives from 10 ASEAN member countries and eight dialogue partners, including the US, Russia, and China, in attendance.
The Ministry highlighted Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's keynote address at the two-day event, where he reiterated India's unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. He emphasized the importance of combining strong domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and regional cooperation to combat terrorism.
Singh noted that terrorism is an evolving challenge and the use of advanced technology requires a collaborative and action-oriented approach. He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach involving both government and society to counter radicalization and violent extremism and called for improved legal and financial frameworks to disrupt terror financing networks.
Delegates from ASEAN member countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand, along with dialogue partners such as the US, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, and Timor Leste, are participating in the event.