Egypt: All-party delegation reaffirms 'collective' resolve to fight terrorism

Cairo: A multi-party parliamentary delegation has reiterated India's "principled position" and "collective resolve" to combat terrorism at a high-level interaction led by Egypt's former foreign minister here.

The delegation, led by NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, "constructively" engaged with prominent Egyptian intellectuals, media leaders, and opinion makers on Tuesday.

At the interactive session led by former foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, the delegation "reiterated India's principled position and collective resolve to combat terrorism, and welcomed Egypt's consistent support," the Indian embassy here said.

The interaction was a part of the delegation's activities during its two-day visit to Egypt, the final stop of its four-nation tour.

Delegation members were also interviewed by leading media houses of Egypt.

"Voicing perspectives for clarity & connection! Members of the high-level multi-party delegation were interviewed by leading media houses of Egypt. Members reiterated India’s commitment to combating terrorism," the embassy said in a separate X post.

The group also visited the Heliopolis War Memorial and paid homage to the "supreme sacrifice made by numerous Indian soldiers" during the First and Second World Wars.

"The memorial is a symbol of shared sacrifice and historical bonds between India & Egypt," the embassy said.

The delegation members also signed the visitor’s book at the Cemetery that comprises the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial and the Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial.

Earlier in the day, the delegation called on Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who reiterated Cairo’s solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism and welcomed deeper bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism.

The group also met League of Arab States Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and discussed India’s wide-ranging political, economic and cultural engagement with the 22-member bloc.

On Monday, the delegation held "productive discussions" with Egyptian lawmakers and conveyed India’s firm and principled position against terrorism.

Apart from Sule, the delegation comprises BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Anurag Thakur and V Muraleedharan, Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Anand Sharma, TDP leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, AAP leader Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 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 on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.