India and Central Asian nations call for action against terrorism

India and the five Central Asian states on Friday condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, and in an apparent nod to Pakistan, called for the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of terrorist acts to be held accountable and brought to justice.

- Rezaul H Laskar

NEW DELHI:

The call for action against all forms of terrorism, including the provision of safe haven and using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, figured in a joint statement issued after a meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Central Asian counterparts.

Jaishankar said India is committed to expanding cooperation with the five countries in areas ranging from security to trade and regional connectivity, and would be a "trusted development partner" for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.