‘India, Paraguay stand united against terrorism’
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday, the first after India’s punitive military action against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sources said the ministers are likely to be given details of the operation, which is also expected to figure in the ruling BJP’s programmes starting next week to mark the first anniversary of the Modi government in its third term.
Besides speaking on Operation Sindoor, the prime minister may give an overall highlight of his governance thrust in the council meeting as the ministers prepare to communicate with people across the country during the anniversary events.
India’s precise strikes on nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir followed by its counterattack on the neighbouring country’s military facilities, especially air bases, have been a highlight of Modi’s recent speeches.
He has affirmed that Operation Sindoor has marked India’s “new normal” in punishing terror acts linked to Pakistan and vowed to go after terrorists and their sponsors with equal ferocity in case of any future terror incidents on the Indian soil.
The Council of Ministers, which generally meets in a few months but has no fixed frequency, unlike the Union Cabinet’s, and key government policies are discussed threadbare in the presence of top bureaucrats.
On April 22, terrorists shot down 26 civilians in the popular Kashmir destination, igniting nationwide outrage and calls for retribution.
Earlier, PM said that India and Paraguay stand united in the fight against terrorism and there is immense possibility to work unitedly to combat shared challenges such as cybercrime and drug trafficking.
Modi made the remarks at delegation-level talks with Paraguayan President Santiago Pena Palacios. The Pahalgam terror attack figured in the talks.
Pena arrived in Delhi this morning on a three-day visit to India to explore ways to expand overall cooperation.
It is his first visit to India and only the second trip by a president of the South American country.
Paraguay is an important trading partner for India in the Latin American region. Several Indian companies in the automobile and pharmaceutical sectors have their presence in Paraguay.
Modi expressed his deep appreciation for Paraguay for its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, as well as for the sincere condolences and solidarity expressed with the people of India, P Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said at a media briefing.
Both leaders “unequivocally” condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, he said.
On behalf of the Paraguayan people, President Pena expressed his deep solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack and their families, he added.
Kumaran said President Pena made it clear that he would be looking at India as a big trade and investment partner, and invited Indian companies to invest in Paraguay.
Modi and Pena held a comprehensive discussion on the entire spectrum of ties including trade and investment, defence and security, infrastructure, mining and mineral resources, agriculture and food security, and green energy.
In his remarks at the talks, Modi said, “We see new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as digital technology, critical minerals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, railways, space and overall economic partnership.”
The prime minister also referred to New Delhi’s preferential trade arrangement with South American trading bloc MERCOSUR.
“We can work together to further expand it,” he said.
