Cairo, June 2 (IANS) The high-level multi-party delegation from India, led by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) Supriya Sule, on Monday held a fruitful engagement with the distinguished members of the Egyptian Senate, conveying India’s firm and principled position against terrorism.
The delegates met Senator Hossam Al-Khouly of Mostaqbal Watan Party, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee Hazem Omar and Chairmen and members of other Parliamentary Committees. The Senate reaffirmed solidarity with India and reiterated importance attached to the close strategic partnership between India and Egypt.
The delegation carrying forth India’s strong message on zero-tolerance against terrorism as part of India’s diplomatic outreach on Operation Sindoor was received by Indian Ambassador to Egypt Suresh Reddy on their arrival in the Middle Eastern country.
The delegates have a packed and productive schedule in Egypt, including ministerial engagements, parliamentary exchanges, interactions with think tanks, media, Indian community, and others.
The all-party delegation led by Sule also includes BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Anurag Thakur, and V. Muraleedharan, Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Anand Sharma, Telugu Desam Party’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Aam Aadmi Party leader Vikramjeet Singh Sawhney, and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin.
“The delegation will engage in dialogue with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA). They are also scheduled to meet with Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. The delegation will also hold talks with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States,” read a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Cairo.
“The programme includes a floral tribute at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at El-Horreya Park, visit to the Heliopolis War Memorial, and interactions with members of the Indian community in Egypt, policy makers, including senior editors, scholars, and strategic thinkers. The visit reflects India’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Egypt and the Arab world in combating terrorism and advancing shared global values,” the statement added.
Earlier on Sunday evening, the delegation concluded a successful visit to Ethiopia, where they held rich, intense and fruitful interactions with Ethiopian dignitaries, members of media, academia, civil society, think-tanks as well as the Indian community in Ethiopia.
They conveyed in one voice India’s zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism and briefed about developments since the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The delegation shared that Operation Sindoor, conducted by India in response, was calibrated, targetted and proportionate, demonstrating India’s commitment to countering terrorism without escalating tensions.
“The delegation emphasised the need to recognise the fact that identifying and firmly dealing with all kinds of terrorists, its perpetrators, supporters, promoters including those who give moral support is the need of hour; working on these lines, India has started dismantling the cross-border terrorism infrastructure, developed and used against India for several decades,” said Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa.
“The Ethiopian side emphasised its own zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and stressed that terrorism must be condemned. The delegation appreciated the solidarity shown by the Ethiopian leadership in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and thanked them for the support,” it added.
Addressing the Indian community in Ethiopia, the delegation members commended them for upholding the values of tolerance, pluralism, and unity, and for resisting divisive efforts aimed at destabilising India’s social fabric. A large number of Ethiopian nationals who studied in India and now hold important positions in public life expressed their solidarity with India and supported the counter-terrorism measures.
The visit of the Indian delegation to Egypt marks a continuation of India’s strategic outreach to garner international support against cross-border terrorism emanating from the soil of Pakistan.
–IANS
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