U.S.-India Joint Declaration on Combatting Terrorism

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Secretary of State John Kerry on the occasion of the inaugural India-U.S. Strategic and Commercial Dialogue:

· Reaffirm the commitment of India and the United States to combat terrorism in all its forms, which constitutes a profound threat to global peace and security, and to uphold our common values of democracy, justice, and the rule of law;

· Reaffirm President Obama’s and Prime Minister Modi’s vision to transform the U.S.-India relationship into a defining counterterrorism partnership for the 21st century;

· Reiterate the threat posed by entities such as Al-Qa’ida and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Tayibba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and other regional groups that seek to undermine stability in South Asia;

· Call for Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack;

· Strongly condemn the July 27, 2015 terrorist attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab, and August 5, 2015, attack in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir;

· Recognize the serious threat posed by ISIL/Da’esh to global security and affirm efforts to degrade and defeat this threat in accordance with the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2178,2170, and 2199;

· Recall the signing of the U.S.-India Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative (CCI) and establishment of the Homeland Security Dialogue in 2010, as well as India’s membership in the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF);

· Recall the Memorandum of Understanding signed in January 2015 between the U.S. Department of Treasury and India’s Ministry of Finance to enhance cooperation against money laundering and terrorism financing;

· Applaud the 15 year anniversary of the U.S.-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group and the provision of Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) training for more than 1100Indian security personnel since 2009;

· Recognize India’s participation in the February 2015 White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism; and,

· Reaffirm their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism that advances and strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism.

Additionally, Minister Swaraj and Secretary Kerry Commend:

· The continuing efforts to finalize a bilateral agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information;

· The meeting of the U.S.-India Terrorist Designations Exchange in July 2015 to strengthen cooperation on domestic terrorist designations, including implementation of UN 1373 (2001), and on international designations pursuant to UN 1267/1989;

· The proposed next round of the Counterterrorism Joint Working Group in early 2016;

· The discussions on cyber security at the U.S-India Cyber Dialogue in August 2015 and continuing close cooperation on cyber security and information sharing;

· Progress toward India’s entry into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Global Entry Program;

· The inclusion of Mumbai in the Strong Cities Network, a forum to build sub-national resiliency against violent extremism;

· Continuing discussions on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance;

· The U.S.-India Megacity Policing Exchange, an initiative to deepen collaboration on training and community policing between local and state law enforcement;

· Progress toward a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian National Police Academy (Hyderabad) and the New York Police Department;

· The proposed next meeting of the Homeland Security Dialogue in early 2016.

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