Bogota/Copenhagen/Addis Ababa: As all-party parliamentary delegations continued global outreach on Saturday, meeting multiple stakeholders in various countries, Colombia withdrew a statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives following India’s Operation Sindoor.
Ethiopia conveyed a strong commitment to working with India in countering terrorism, Latvia reiterated unequivocal opposition to terrorism in all its forms, while Sierra Leone expressed strong support for India’s stance on combating the scourge as multi-party delegations met political and diplomatic leadership to convey New Delhi’s message.
India has tasked seven multi-party delegations to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror, especially in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
In Colombia, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading the all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota’s withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio and her senior colleagues.
“I expressed India’s view of recent events and voiced disappointment at Colombia’s statement May 8 conveying ‘heartfelt condolences’ to Pakistan. The Minister assured me that the statement had been withdrawn and that our position was now properly understood and strongly supported,” Tharoor said in a social media post.
In Bogota, the Indian delegation also met Alejandro Toro, the president of the Second Commission of the Chamber of Representatives (equivalent to India’s parliamentary committee on foreign affairs) and Jaime Raul Salamanca, president of the Chamber of Representatives (equivalent of Lok Sabha speaker), both of whom “expressed full understanding of our position and voiced strong support for India’s right to defend itself, its territory and its sovereignty,” Tharoor said on X.
In Ethiopia, the all-party delegation visiting Addis Ababa Saturday met Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Prosperity Party Adem Farah, who “conveyed Ethiopia’s strong commitment to work with India in the field of counter-terrorism,” the Indian Embassy in Ethiopia said on X.
Earlier on Friday, the delegation met Hailemariam Dessalegn, the former prime minister who as the then deputy prime minister and the foreign minister had played a crucial role in holding the Second India-Africa Forum Summit in May 2011.
Hailemariam expressed heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and correlated it with the terrorist activities in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel Region of Africa, a statement said.
In Copenhagen, the all-party delegation Saturday apprised the Danish leaders of challenges posed by cross-border terrorism to India as they met select former MPs, former ministers and a former diplomat.
“Denmark’s important voice in global affairs – as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and incoming EU Presidency – was highlighted as a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism,” the Indian Embassy said in a post on X.
They met Lars-Christian Brask, Deputy Speaker of the Danish Parliament, and Christian Friis Bach, Chairman of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee, and Trine Pertou Mach, committee member and briefed them on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is leading the delegation, said in a post on X: “We all welcomed Denmark’s unequivocal condemnation of terrorism, valuing the country’s strong stance against this global threat.”
In Latvia, the main day of engagements of the visiting all-party delegation concluded with their participation in a special community event – Sindoor Sammaan – organised by the Indian diaspora there, said a post on X by the Indian Embassy in Riga.
“Nothing is going to divide us anymore,” delegation leader MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi told the gathering, emphasising on India’s strong democracy and initiatives.
The delegation met Latvian State Secretary Andzejs Vilumsons, who reiterated his country’s unequivocal opposition to terrorism in all its forms and termed India a significant player in the Indo-Pacific region for peace and stability.
They also met Ambassador Andrejs Pildegovics, Special Envoy for Latvia’s UNSC candidacy.
The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X: “The state secretary took the opportunity to express Latvia’s interest in promoting bilateral relations with India as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the areas of political dialogue and economic cooperation.”
The Indian embassy said the delegation also had the opportunity to meet Ingrida Circene, Chairwoman of the Human Endowment (HE) group for Promoting Cooperation with Parliament on Indian Issues, and Inara Murniece, Chairwoman of the HE Foreign Affairs Committee, and other esteemed members of both Saeima committees.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone has expressed strong support to India’s stance on combatting terrorism, with Deputy Defence Minister Muana Brima Massaquoi highlighting the urgent need for African nations to unite against the menace and warning that inaction could bring the threat to their shores.
The High Commission of India in Freetown said in a statement that the delegation held extensive meetings with key Sierra Leonean dignitaries including the Speaker of the Parliament, Members of Parliament and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Defence, the National Security Coordinator, acting Foreign Minister and the Vice President of Sierra Leone.
In a strong show of solidarity, the Parliament of Sierra Leone condemned the terrorist attack at Pahalgam and observed a moment of silence to honour the victims of the attack, the statement said.
The delegation interacted with foreign diplomats in Sierra Leone to galvanise international action against terrorism, and decisively counter the tactics of those who perpetrate, support and sponsor cross-border terror activities against India.
The multi-party Parliamentary delegation led by Sanjay Kumar Jha completed their mission in Indonesia, where a prominent Indonesian Islamic organisation Friday condemned terrorism in all its forms and asked New Delhi and Jakarta to walk hand in hand to promote peace and economic development.
Through their several interactions in Jakarta over the last three days with a cross-section of important stakeholders, the delegation members garnered “unequivocal support from all interlocutors in Indonesia,” the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said.
The delegation then reached Kuala Lumpur, where it is scheduled to meet Malaysian ministers and MPs, apart from interacting with representatives of think-tanks, academia, media and the Indian community, to convey India’s resolve to combat terrorism.
During their visit to various countries, the delegations are holding meetings and discussions with wide-ranging stakeholders, such as the media, civil society, academicians and the Indian community.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7.
Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side strongly responded to the Pakistani attempts by inflicting heavy damage to number of key Pakistani military installations, including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri May 10 announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect.
PTI
