India-EU hold counter terror dialogue, exchange global threat assessments

The meeting of the joint working group on counter-terrorism condemned the “heinous” terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 as well as cross-border terror

Published on: Sep 10, 2025, 20:25:19 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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NEW DELHI: India and the European Union (EU) exchanged domestic and global threat assessments and discussed cooperation at multilateral bodies such as FATF during a counter-terrorism dialogue in Brussels, a joint statement said on Wednesday.

Both sides agreed that terrorism is a global phenomenon that needs concerted action, (X/EU_in_India)

The meeting of the joint working group on counter-terrorism, held on Tuesday, condemned the “heinous” terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 as well as cross-border terrorism, the statement said.

The counter-terrorism dialogue was part of a series of engagements between the two sides aimed at bolstering strategic and security cooperation ahead of the India-EU Summit to be held early next year.

The dialogue facilitated an exchange of domestic, regional and global threat assessments of the two sides, which emphasised that instability and conflicts in different regions of the world are catalysts for terrorism and violent extremism, the statement said.

Both sides agreed that terrorism is a global phenomenon that needs concerted action, and stressed the importance of cooperation in multilateral forums such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the United Nations, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF).

“Both sides condemned the heinous terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam and EU reiterated its condolences to India for the killing of innocent civilians,” the statement said. “The two sides reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross border terrorism.”

India and the EU shared updates on their counter-terrorism policies and took up other important topics in the fight against terrorism, including measures to counter terror financing and prevent online radicalisation, and exchanges on the designation of terrorist individuals and entities.

The two sides also explored ways to strengthen their counter-terrorism cooperation and identified areas of future collaboration, the statement said without giving details.

The dialogue was co-chaired by KD Dewal, joint secretary (counter-terrorism) in the external affairs ministry, and Maciej Stadejek, director for security and defence policy in the European External Action Service.

The next meeting of the joint working group will be held in New Delhi

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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