“The issue of terrorism was a key topic discussion in all engagements terrorism has become a global phenomenon and requires a comprehensive response,” Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters at a joint press conference with his US counterpart Ashton Carter after their meeting yesterday.
The two leaders discussed a range of regional security issues, including the threat posed by the Islamic State and entities such as Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, the Haqqani Network and other regional terror groups, according the joint statement.
In the wake of the latest incident of terrorism in the US by a Pakistani-origin couple who gunned down 14 people, Carter said at the joint press event that the US had regular conversations with India about the issue.
“And with respect to India, I’ll just say that counterterrorism clearly is a key common interest,” Carter said. “We work a lot together on that.”
“And then we have a wide range of geopolitical, strategic and technology areas of cooperation as well. So it’s a very wide-ranging relationship. In today’s world, you can’t leave out terrorism,” Carter said.
Parrikar said there has been no change in India’s policy on participating only in UN approved peacekeeping missions.
But India is and has been sharing intelligence with the US on issues related to terrorism, he said.
