Tokyo, 29 Aug

India and Japan on Friday strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and called for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay.

In a joint statement issued after the summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, the two countries also called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups and entities, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxies.

"The two Prime Ministers unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism," the joint statement said.

They condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April, and took note of the UN Security Council Monitoring Team Report of 29 July, mentioning The Resistance Front (TRF).

Prime Minister Modi explained that the TRF had claimed responsibility for the attack that claimed 26 lives. Prime Minister Ishiba noted this with concern.

"They called for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay," the statement said.

"They also called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups and entities, including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxies, and to take resolute actions to root out terrorists’ safe havens, eliminate terrorist financing channels and its nexus with transnational crime, and halt cross-border movement of terrorists," it added.

The two Prime Ministers also expressed support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter. They welcomed the ongoing diplomatic efforts by various countries to achieve a just and lasting peace, the statement said.

They reiterated their commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East, calling on all parties concerned to show restraint, protect civilians, comply with international law, and refrain from taking actions that could further escalate the situation and compromise regional stability, it said.

Voicing grave concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the two leaders strongly stressed the importance of reaching an agreement among the parties concerned regarding the release of all hostages and the immediate and sustainable ceasefire, as well as addressing the deteriorating humanitarian situation.