India, Tajikistan strengthen counter-terror cooperation at Joint Working Group meeting
New Delhi, June 24. India and Tajikistan on June 24 held the fifth meeting of their Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in Dushanbe, where the two sides reviewed evolving terrorist threats and explored ways to deepen cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism.
The meeting was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Sherali Jonon, Head of the Department of Asia-Pacific Countries in Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials from relevant ministries and agencies of both countries also participated in the discussions.
The two sides exchanged assessments of the threats posed by terrorist groups globally and in their respective regions and deliberated on current and emerging counter-terrorism challenges.
The discussions covered a wide range of issues, including countering violent extremism and radicalisation, tackling terror financing, preventing the misuse of emerging technologies by terrorist organisations, combating drug trafficking and addressing the transnational movement of terrorists.
India and Tajikistan strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and reiterated their condemnation of the terrorist attack on civilians in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, as well as the terror incident near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10, 2025.
The two countries called for coordinated international action against terrorists and terrorist organisations, including entities designated under the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee regime.
The meeting also focused on measures to strengthen bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation through enhanced information sharing, capacity building initiatives and the exchange of best practices.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to working closely in multilateral forums, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) and the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG).
India and Tajikistan agreed to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in India on mutually convenient dates.
