Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasizes collective action against terrorism, transnational crime, and cyber threats at the first Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
India is currently hosting the first Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Home Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi. This historic gathering highlights the collective commitment of BIMSTEC member countries to combat terrorism, transnational organized crime, narcotics, radicalization, human trafficking, illicit financial flows, and cyber threats. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking on the occasion, stressed India's longstanding dedication to peace and human welfare, guided by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Mr. Shah reiterated India's respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and its commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes. He underscored India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, calling for a collective commitment to ensure that no terrorist network finds a safe haven within the region for shelter, recruitment, training, financing, or activities against neighboring countries. Additionally, Mr. Shah emphasized mutual assistance in extradition and legal cooperation among member states. He highlighted that criminal networks operate across borders and exploit local vulnerabilities, necessitating real-time cooperation and coordination among intelligence, law enforcement, financial monitoring, and border management agencies. On counter-terrorism cooperation, Mr. Shah emphasized the exchange of actionable intelligence through designated nodal agencies and better coordination against terrorist financing and organized crime. He also shared that India has achieved significant success in bringing fugitive criminals back from different parts of the world to face justice. Finally, he appealed to all BIMSTEC members to strengthen cooperation to ensure that no criminal or terrorist can evade the law, regardless of where they are hiding.
Source:
Akashvani News
