Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, referred to the recent attack in Texas as a clear indication of active threat from the international network of terror “with its epicenter in India’s neighborhood.” The foreign secretary was pointing to the attack in Texas, where a UK person named, Malik Faisal Akram, was shot dead by the FBI after he took four hostages at a synagogue and demanded the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist, Afia Siddiqui. Afia Siddiqui, an Al-Qaeda operative was convicted of trying to kill US Army officers in Afghanistan.
The Indian Foreign Secretary while addressing a symposium on “Potential for Indo-European/German cooperation in the Indo-Pacific” said, “This (terrorism) is a global threat that requires an unambiguous, undivided, effective and collective response. Just two days ago, India reiterated its position when it conveyed that any attack on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure was completely unacceptable; would be in blatant violation of international law; and against all civilised norms.”
Recalling the horrific incidents at the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai where Indian, German and people of other nationalities lost lives, Mr Shringla said, “Failure to cooperate can only embolden terrorists towards more audacity.” In the same context, Mr Shringla also recalled the statement made by the Indian External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, at the UN Security Council where he said “there cannot be any exception or any justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivations behind such acts.”
Indo-Pacific Region
Mr Shringla stated that India saw the Indo-Pacific as a free, open, inclusive region, which embraced all in a common pursuit of progress and prosperity. He added, “Our Prime Minister has encapsulated this vision in one term- SAGAR, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region. The term SAGAR itself means “Ocean” in several Indian languages.”
Against the backdrop of China’s aggressive maritime maneuvers in the Indo-Pacific region, the Indian Diplomat said that it was through dialogue, a common rules-based order that prosperity and security in the region could be achieved. He stressed “Such an order must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as equality of all nations. Such an order should enable all countries to use common spaces on sea and in the air, engage in unimpeded commerce, and peacefully settle disputes in accordance with international law.”
Indo-German Cooperation
The Indian Diplomat said that he looked forward to deepening ties between Indian and Germany on matters of national security. He said that the two nations could discuss national and international interests through regular exchange of information, mutual capacity building effort, sharing of best practices, mutual legal assistance and cooperation in multilateral fora. He welcomed Germany’s decision to intensify engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and said “Given the vulnerability of this region to natural disasters, we could explore the cooperation in environmental protection, sustainable development, and disaster resilience.”
He further said that given the shared interests of the two nations on climate action, India and Germany could adopt a Green Partnership “with particular focus on green hydrogen and new and renewable technologies.”
Earlier this week, Shringla met German Navy chief Kay-Achim Schönbach to discuss maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. A day later, the German Navy’s Frigate Bayern F217 arrived in Mumbai for a short visit. Shringla also invited Germany to participate in the third “No Money for Terror” Conference to be held in 2022.
