News

USIS Washington File

08 February 2000

Text: U.S.-India Counterterrorism Working Group Met February 8

(Agreed to strengthen cooperation to counter international terrorism)
(530)

The inaugural meeting of the U.S.-India Counterterrorism Working
Group, announced in January 2000 following meetings between Deputy
Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and India's Foreign Minister Jaswant
Singh in London, was held February 8 in Washington.

Ambassador Michael A. Sheehan, U.S. Coordinator for counterterrorism,
hosted the meeting at the Department of State. The Indian delegation
was headed by Joint Secretary Alok Prasad of the Ministry of External
Affairs.

"The two sides expressed concern at the growing menace of
international terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking," State
Department Spokesman James P. Rubin said in a statement after the
meeting.

The two sides also "unequivocally condemned all acts, methods, and
practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, whatever the
considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial,
ethnic, religious, or any other nature that may be invoked to justify
them," he said.

Following is the text of Rubin's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release
February 8, 2000

Statement by James P. Rubin, Spokesman

Joint U.S.-India Statement on Counterterrorism Working Group

Last month, the United States and India agreed to establish a Joint
Working Group on Counterterrorism. The agreement was announced
following meetings between Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott and Foreign
Minister Jaswant Singh in London.

The inaugural meeting of the U.S.-India Counterterrorism Working Group
was held today in Washington. Ambassador Michael A. Sheehan, U.S.
Coordinator for Counterterrorism, hosted the meeting at the Department
of State. The Indian delegation was headed by Joint Secretary Alok
Prasad of the Ministry of External Affairs. Both delegations included
an interagency group of counterterrorism and law enforcement
officials.

The two sides expressed concern at the growing menace of international
terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking. The two sides
unequivocally condemned all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism
as criminal and unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a
political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious, or
any other nature that may be invoked to justify them.

The two sides agreed to intensify their joint cooperation to ensure
that the perpetrators of the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814
are brought to justice, as part of their joint efforts to combat
international terrorism.

The Indian government agreed to the U.S. offer of Antiterrorism
Assistance programs, the specifics to be determined in future visits.
The group also decided to convene a meeting of each side's legal
experts in April to discuss the Indian-proposed U.N. Terrorism
Convention.

Inter-agency teams from the two countries agreed on a range of
measures to enhance cooperation between the two countries to combat
international terrorism. The two sides would share experience,
exchange information, and coordinate approaches and action.

Both India and the United States have a shared interest in
strengthening a regime to counter international terrorism. This
working group is intended to enhance the effectiveness of our efforts
to counter international terrorism worldwide.

The next meeting of the U.S.-India Counterterrorism Working Group will
be held in India on mutually agreed dates.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State.)