India, Singapore reaffirm zero tolerance for terrorism at 5th Joint Working Group meeting in New Delhi
New Delhi, May 8. India and Singapore reaffirmed their strong commitment to combating terrorism and transnational crime during the fifth meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) held in New Delhi on May 7.
The meeting was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) at the Ministry of External Affairs, and Ngiam Shih Chun, Deputy Secretary (Policy) at the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore. As strategic partners, both sides emphasised the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation to counter terrorism in all its forms.
The two countries unequivocally condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, and reiterated their shared principle of zero tolerance. They strongly denounced the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, and the terror incident near Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, 2025, stressing that perpetrators must be brought to justice.
Recognising that effective counter-terrorism requires sustained and coordinated efforts, the JWG renewed its commitment to enhancing cooperation across multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Financial Action Task Force. Discussions also covered cooperation in tackling individuals and groups listed under the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, alongside strengthening timely information sharing to address cross-border threats.
Delegates deliberated on a range of traditional and emerging challenges, including terrorist recruitment, cross-border movement of extremists, radicalisation, misuse of technology for terrorist activities, and terror financing. They also exchanged assessments of regional and global threats linked to cybercrime, drug trafficking, and the growing nexus between organised crime and terrorism. Both sides agreed to intensify collaboration in information exchange, law enforcement coordination, capacity building, and sharing of best practices.
As part of the visit, the Singapore delegation toured India’s Anti-Scam Centre, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing transnational scams. The two countries expressed interest in enhancing collaboration through information exchange and training initiatives in this domain.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime will be held in Singapore on mutually agreed dates.
