India, Australia pledge to deepen cooperation against terrorism at Canberra meeting

New Delhi, October 30. India and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen collaboration in countering terrorism during the 15th meeting of the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism, held in Canberra on October 29-30.

The meeting was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Gemma Huggins, Australia’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Both sides held detailed discussions on the evolving domestic, regional, and global terrorism landscape and explored ways to enhance cooperation in areas such as law enforcement, judicial collaboration, and maritime security.

Condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, the Australian side reiterated its solidarity with India.

Emphasising the growing threat posed by new and emerging technologies being exploited for terrorist activities, the two delegations agreed on the importance of timely information sharing, joint preventive measures, and enhanced cooperation to counter radicalization and violent extremism.

India and Australia also reaffirmed their commitment to work closely in multilateral and regional fora, including the United Nations (UN), Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF), Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), No Money for Terror (NMFT) initiative, and with Quad partners, to combat global terrorism.

During the visit, the Indian delegation held interactions with officials from the Australian Federal Police Counter Terrorism Unit, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Maritime Border Command, and also toured the Australian Watch Office and the Crisis Centre.

Both sides agreed to convene the next JWG meeting in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.