NEW DELHI: India has zero tolerance for terrorism and will never give in to nuclear blackmail, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Friday after briefing Germany’s top leadership on the new approach to combating cross-border terror backed by Pakistan.
Jaishankar signalled there will be no room for third-party mediation in India’s dealings with Pakistan while addressing a news conference with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul in Berlin. He also conveyed to Chancellor Friedrich Merz India’s appreciation for Germany’s solidarity at the time when the country was responding to the Pahalgam attack.
“India has zero tolerance for terrorism. India will never give in to nuclear blackmail. And India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally,” Jaishankar said. “There should be no confusion in any quarter in that regard.”
Wadephul said Germany was “appalled by the brutal terrorist attack” at Pahalgam last month and had “condemned this attack on civilians in the strongest terms”. He added: “Germany will support any fight against terrorism. Terrorism must never have a place anywhere in the world and this is why we will support everyone who has to fight terrorism.”
Jaishankar said he spoke to Wadephul on May 7, the day Operation Sindoor was launched to target terrorist infrastructure on Pakistani soil, and said India values Germany’s understanding that “every nation has a right to defend itself against terrorism”.
Defence and security was a key part of the talks between the two foreign ministers, and Jaishankar emphasised Germany’s importance as an important partner. Wadephul said the two countries share the joint goal of maintaining the rules-based world order.
“India has a very special importance as a strong actor in security policy in a strategically important region,” Wadephul said.
Referring to the clashes between India and Pakistan that ended on May 10 with an understanding on stopping military actions, Wadephul said: “The fact that a truce is now in place is something we appreciate very much. What is important now is that this truce remains stable, that dialogue can happen in order to find bilateral solutions for that conflict, taking into account the vital interests on both sides.”
Jaishankar discussed India’s campaign against terrorism with top German leaders even as an all-party delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi briefed Russian political leaders and lawmakers in Moscow on the rationale for launching Operation Sindoor.
At his meeting with Merz in Berlin, Jaishankar conveyed the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed appreciation for “Germany’s solidarity as India counters the challenge of terrorism”. The two sides will work to expand the bilateral strategic partnership, he said in a social media post.
India’s campaign against terrorism also figured in Jaishankar’s meeting with Günter Sautter, the foreign and security policy adviser to the German chancellor. “Exchanged perspectives on major global issues, including combatting terrorism. Our deepening partnership is an important factor of stability in an uncertain world. We will also work together to strengthen resilience and trust,” he said.
Jaishankar, who is on a three-nation tour of Europe that has already taken him to the Netherlands and Denmark, met members of the German Bundestag or Parliament on Thursday and discussed “India’s firm commitment of combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations”.
In Moscow, the all-party delegation led by Kanimozhi briefed members of the Federation Council or upper house and the Duma or lower house on India’s new approach to combating cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The delegation also met Russia’s deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko.
“The Russian side condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and stated that Russia stands in solidarity with India for elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations! Russia and India have a shared position in the fight against terrorism,” the Indian embassy in Moscow said on social media after the delegation met Andrey Denisov, the deputy chair of the committee on international affairs in the upper house, and other senators.
The team also met Leonid Slutsky, chair of the Duma committee on international affairs, and other members of the lower house.
The delegation, which includes Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai, BJP MP Brijesh Chowta, RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta, AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, and former ambassador Manjeev Puri, will also travel to Slovenia, Greece, Latvia and Spain.
The all-party delegation led by Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Kumar Jha that is visiting Japan interacted with the Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League led by Yasutoshi Nishimura in Tokyo on Friday. “India’s resolute stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism was conveyed. Members of the league expressed support for India’s resolve to counter cross border terrorism,” the Indian embassy said after the meeting.
At a separate meeting with the delegation, Japan’s Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga expressed his support for India’s national resolve to combat terrorism. The delegation also met Japan’s former defence minister Minoru Kihara and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leaders Shinako Tsuchiya and Yasuhiro Hanashi and discussed the zero tolerance approach to terrorism.
Another all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, which is visiting the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE), met Nikolay Mladenov, head of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, and exchanged views on boosting cooperation in counter-terrorism and combating radicalism.
India is sending seven all-party delegations to 33 countries around the world to highlight Pakistan’s role in supporting cross-border terrorism and to urge the world community to pressure Islamabad to crack down on terror groups.