Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the November 10 Delhi blast, calling for concerted international efforts to combat terrorism in a "comprehensive and sustained manner" as per the international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter.
In a joint statement, the two leaders also called for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, while announcing a new bilateral Indo-Pacific consultation mechanism. New Delhi has also welcomed Berlin's continued and growing engagement in the region, including activities under the Capacity Building and Resource Sharing pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) co-led by India and Germany.
"They committed to strengthen co-operation against terrorists and terrorist entities, including those listed in the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee," the joint statement said. "Both sides also called upon all countries to continue to work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure as well as to disrupt terrorist networks and financing in accordance with international law."
"The Leaders welcomed the ratification of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and noted the progress under the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism," it added.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's India visit
Merz had arrived in India on Monday for a two-day visit to further increase the bilateral ties between the two nations. On day 1 of his visit, Merz visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Later, he and PM Modi visited the Sabarmati Riverfront where they inaugurated the International Kite Festival.
After this, the two leaders held a bilateral meeting during which they discussed multiple issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the situation in Gaza. They also discussed terrorism, with both of them agreeing that it is a serious threat to humanity.
During the meeting, the prime minister also invited German universities to open their campuses in India. They also attended the India-Germany Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum.
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