(Forelines) – The Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism (CT) of the European Union and India met for the fifteenth time on September 9, 2025, in Brussels, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
K.D. Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter-terrorism) in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy in the European External Action Service, co-chaired the dialogue.
The horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, was denounced by all parties, and the EU expressed its condolences to India for the deaths of defenseless civilians. Both sides reaffirmed how strongly they oppose terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations, including terrorism that crosses international borders.
They both agreed that terrorism is a worldwide issue that requires coordinated, long-term, and all-encompassing action. In light of this, the EU and India emphasized the value of collaboration in multilateral forums like the FATF, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), and the United Nations.
A thorough discussion of threat assessments at the national, regional, and international levels was made possible by the discourse. The participants underlined that terrorism and violent extremism are sparked by instability and conflicts in many parts of the world.
Along with discussing crucial issues in the war on terrorism, the EU and India also provided updates on the major advancements of their respective counterterrorism strategies.
These include steps to stop the funding of terrorism, stop radicalization online, keep exchanging names for terrorists and terrorist organizations, and deal with the effects of new technologies.
Along with identifying potential areas of future cooperation, the two parties also looked into measures to improve their CT cooperation.
On a date that works for all parties, the Joint Working Group will meet again in New Delhi.