Liberian Speaker, Indian MP Shrikant Shinde call for united fight against terrorism
Addressing Group 4 of the all-party Indian delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, Speaker Koon highlighted Liberia's efforts to build regional security alliances through parliamentary cooperation in West Africa.
'On the issue of the terrorists that we're all trying to combat worldwide, I recently saw us visiting Sierra Leone, and the essence of our visit to Sierra Leone was to build a parliamentary membership related to the MROU. We feel that with four countries in Africa, especially West Africa, if we are united, we can have a common front on this issue,' Koon said.
The Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MROU) aims to enhance regional security efforts across West African states. Koon's remarks signaled Liberia's growing intent to address terrorism beyond its borders, in coordination with other nations.
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde reiterated India's commitment to peace and its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, especially in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
'We are carrying with us a message of peace and zero tolerance towards terrorism. We have come here for what happened in Pahalgam on April 22. Twenty-six innocent people were brutally killed there. This is not the first terror attack, but there have been many terror attacks in India in the last several years,' Shinde said.
He added that the international community must join forces and that the countries visited by the Indian delegation have assured their support for India's stance.
'This is the time when we should all stand together against terrorism. All the countries we visited have assured us that they are with India in the fight against terrorism,' he said.
Group 4 of the all-party delegation arrived in Liberia on Saturday (local time), where they were warmly welcomed by the Representative and Chairman of the Executive of the House of Representatives of Liberia, Sekou S Kanneh and the Ambassador of India to Liberia, Manoj Bihari Verma.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Biju Janata Dal's Sasmit Patra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy are also part of the Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde-led delegation.
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.
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. (ANI)
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