New Delhi, May 5 : India and Russia held the 12th JWG on Counter Terrorism and India-Russia bilateral consultations on UN and multilateral issues in Moscow during which the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation in bilateral as well as multilateral platforms.

Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma visited Moscow on May 3-4 for the talks.

The 12th JWG on CT on May 3 was co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma and Oleg Syromolotov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Representatives of respective departments and agencies from both sides also participated in the meeting.

Both sides shared their experiences in combating terrorism and extremism and discussed current terrorist threats at the global and regional level. The Russian side expressed appreciation for India’s role as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council in 2022 and welcomed the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration that had focused on combating the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation in bilateral as well as multilateral platforms, a statement said.

The India-Russia bilateral consultations on UN-related issues were held on May 4 with Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Both sides held wide ranging discussions on several issues pertaining to the UNSC, including its reform. Russia reiterated its support for India as a permanent member in a reformed UN Security Council, it added.