The 14th meeting of the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism was held in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by K.D. Dewal, Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs, while the Australian side was headed by Richard Feakes, Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The meeting focused on addressing global counter-terrorism challenges and strengthening bilateral cooperation. Both countries:
• Strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed the need for comprehensive international cooperation to combat it.
• Denounced the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.
The delegations exchanged views on terrorism threat assessments at domestic, regional, and global levels. Discussions covered:
• Terrorists’ misuse of new and emerging technologies
• Radicalization and terror financing
• Terrorists’ exploitation of the internet
• The nexus between organized crime and terrorism
They also explored cooperation in regional, global, and multilateral forums, including the UN, GCTF, FATF, ARF, IORA, and with QUAD partners, to enhance global counter-terrorism efforts.
Strengthening Strategic Partnership
The meeting highlighted that counter-terrorism cooperation is a crucial component of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Both sides agreed to hold the 15th JWG meeting in Canberra at a mutually convenient date.