Cairo, May 1: India and Egypt held the 4th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in Cairo on Wednesday. They agreed to strengthen joint efforts in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Egypt reaffirmed its full support for India in confronting all forms of violence, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release. India and Egypt strongly condemned the recent "heinous terrorist attack" in Pahalgam that targeted tourists.

In a press release, the MEA stated, "India and Egypt strongly condemned the recent heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam that targeted domestic and international tourists. Egypt reaffirmed its full support for India in confronting all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining the country's security and stability."

"Both sides agreed to strengthen joint efforts in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The two sides exchanged views on terror threats in their respective countries and regions," it added.

The two delegations were led by Ambassador KD Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of External Affairs, and Ambassador Walid Al-Fiqi, Director of the Department of Counter Terrorism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, and included representatives from various agencies of both nations.

The two nations discussed ways to strengthen areas of cooperation to counter new and emerging challenges like the use of technology for terrorist purposes and financing of terrorism, including cryptocurrencies, unmanned aerial systems and misuse of cyberspace by terrorists for spreading terrorist propaganda.

India and Egypt agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in anti-money laundering efforts, drug trafficking and organised crime. The two nations agreed to deepen cooperation in training and capacity building, cyber security, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for counter-terrorism, the exchange of best practices, and information sharing.

The two nations discussed strengthening multilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, including the United Nations and BRICS. The next meeting of the Joint Working Group shall be held in India on a mutually convenient date.

In a press release, MEA stated, "The two sides also discussed strengthening of multilateral cooperation in counter terrorism, including in the United Nations, BRICS, the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF) and FATF."

"In this context, both sides exchanged views on how to enhance the effectiveness of the GCTF and reiterated the commitment to early finalisation and adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)," it added.

(ANI)

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