Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], May 29 : Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda, said Saudi Arabia has taken a strong and clear stand against terrorism and terror financing.
Shringla highlighted that both countries issued a strong joint statement condemning cross-border terrorism and the Pakistan-sponsored attack in Pahalgam.
Speaking toon Wednesday (local time), Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, "...Saudi Arabia made it clear that their stand on terrorism will be very, very firm... They also believe that there should be very close scrutiny of terror financing. They reiterated the joint statement that was issued when Prime Minister Modi visited Saudi Arabia on 22nd of April, this is also something that is noteworthy that when our Prime Minister was a guest in Saudi Arabia, the Pakistani-sponsored terrorists decided to undertake their very, very ghastly operation in Pahalgam. The joint statement is a very strong one and it refers not only to the condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam but also to cross-border terrorism for the first time..."
In addition, Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma, who is part of the same all-party delegation, said India has taken a united stand against terrorism and will not engage in dialogue with Pakistan until it dismantles its terror camps.
Sharma added that India and Saudi Arabia share strong bilateral ties rooted in development and mutual respect, with the local community recognising India as a peace-loving nation.
"We jointly talked about India standing against terrorism and India will not talk to Pakistan other than if they finish their terrorist camps... We have brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia, and together we want to march for development, and that's what their people are also saying. They're talking about development. They know that India is a peace-loving nation and they will not create any problems for others. That's why our people in this country are also welcome," Sharma told ANI.
The delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, also includes Nishikant Dubey MP, BJP; Phangnon Konyak, MP, BJP; Rekha Sharma MP, NJP; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; Satnam Singh Sandhu MP; Ghulam Nabi Azad; and Ambassador Harsh Shringla.
The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria.
The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
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