New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): The 5th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism between India and Egypt was held in New Delhi on May 20, 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by senior officials from the Ministries of External Affairs and Foreign Affairs, with the participation of relevant agencies of both countries, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

India and Egypt underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, reflecting the spirit of the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership. They unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, reaffirmed the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism and reiterated that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group. They strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025 and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi on November 10, 2025 and stressed that all those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice. Egypt reaffirmed its solidarity with India against all forms of terrorism aimed at undermining the country's security and stability.

As per the statement, both sides emphasised that confronting terrorism requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner. Against this backdrop, the two sides renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism, including in the UN, BRICS, FATF, GCTF and other multilateral platforms. They also exchanged views on how to enhance the effectiveness of the GCTF and reiterated their commitment to early finalisation and adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

The two sides exchanged views on threats emanating from terrorism and discussed threats posed by the terrorist groups globally and in their respective regions. In this regard, they called for concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities and their affiliates, proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers, the statement said.

Both sides reviewed a wide range of traditional and emerging threats and challenges such as terrorist recruitment, abuse of technology for terrorist purposes and financing of terrorism. They expressed concerns over the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and AI for terrorist purposes. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in areas of training and capacity building, cyber security, judicial cooperation, exchange of best practices and information sharing through continued bilateral and multilateral efforts.

Both sides decided to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism in Egypt on a mutually convenient date, the statement said. (ANI)