Terrorism & radicalization gravest threats- Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for a united fight against the pandemic. He said, universal vaccination is the only solution which can bring back world economy on the path of recovery. Addressing the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus on Wednesday through video-conferencing, the Minister called for a united fight against the pandemic. He said, universal vaccination is the only solution which can bring back world economy on the path of recovery. Singh asserted that the multitude of challenges of today’s dynamic and interdependent world cannot be addressed with outdated systems that were designed to deal with trials of the past.

He said, terrorism and radicalization are the gravest threats to peace and security in the world.Singh assured that India, as a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), remains committed to combat financing of terrorism. He re-emphasised India’s call for an open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific region. The Defence Minister underlined the importance of need based respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, peaceful resolutions of disputes through dialogue and adherence to International rules and laws. He reiterated India’s support to freedom of navigation and over-flight for all in International waters in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Highlighting the gravity of Cyber threats, Defence Minister called for a multi-stakeholder approach, guided by democratic values  for safe digital connectivity with due respect to sovereignty of countries. He said that as a founding member of the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting, India seeks to enhance capacity building through collaboration in the areas of Maritime Search and Rescue.

The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) is a forum comprising 10 ASEAN member countries and eight partner nations including India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.The 15th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting is being hosted by Brunei as it is the chair of the ASEAN grouping this year. The ADMM-Plus forum aims to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability and development in the region.