New Delhi: The 4th meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime was held at the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India on October 6. Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs of India K.D. Dewal and Deputy Director General for Political Affairs/Principal Director for Security at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alessandro Azzoni led their respective Inter-Departmental delegations. Indian and Italian officials met to share views, assess domestic, regional and international terrorist threats and discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime.
Both sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and shared their experience in preventing and countering terrorism, violent extremism, radicalization, cross-border terrorist travel and financing of terrorism. India and Italy also recalled their support for a zero tolerance, comprehensive approach to prevent and combat terrorism based on the rule of law and emphasized the importance of an effective prosecution of those responsible for terrorist acts while condemning all forms of State sponsored terrorism.
The delegations of both countries also exchanged views on cooperation at the multilateral fora, such as the UN, FATF and GCTF. They also expressed commitment to advance the ongoing negotiations on a number of bilateral agreements in the spheres of judicial and police cooperation. The meeting set the path for future joint training and capacity- building programs.
The next meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group will be held in Rome in 2024 on a mutually-convenient date.
