India reaches out to Germany, the Netherlands to stress zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism

Modi congratulated Merz, who recently took over as the Chancellor of Germany, succeeding Olaf Scholz. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Dick Schoof, the prime minister of the Netherlands, in The Hague on Tuesday and thanked him for the Dutch Government’s resolute stand against terrorism.

New Delhi: India and Germany are united in the fight against terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, after speaking to his new counterpart in Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, on Tuesday.

Modi congratulated Merz, who recently took over as the Chancellor of Germany, succeeding Olaf Scholz.

“Spoke to Chancellor @_FriedrichMerz and congratulated him on assuming office. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between India and Germany. Exchanged views on regional and global developments. We stand united in the fight against terrorism,” the prime minister posted on X after the phone call with his counterpart in Germany.

With the April 22 carnage in J&K leading to a cross-border flare-up between India and Pakistan from May 7 to 10, New Delhi has been stressing the need to adopt a policy of zero tolerance to terrorism.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Dick Schoof, the prime minister of the Netherlands, in The Hague on Tuesday and thanked him for the Dutch Government’s resolute stand against terrorism. “Delighted to call on PM Dick Schoof today in The Hague. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi and thanked him for the Netherlands’ firm and resolute stance against terrorism. Appreciate his commitment to taking the India-Netherlands partnership to newer heights. Assured that our teams will work hard to achieve these,” Jaishankar posted on X.

The external affairs minister also met Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans and Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp of the Netherlands.

“Appreciate Netherlands’ strong condemnation of the Pahalgam attack. And support for zero tolerance against terrorism. Had wide-ranging discussions on deepening our bilateral partnership and engagement with the EU. Exchanged views on the global situation in an era of multi-polarity,” he posted after meeting his counterpart in The Hague. He and Brekelmans exchanged views on the respective security perspectives and challenges. “Also spoke about the benefits of forging a bilateral defence partnership,” the external affairs minister wrote on X.

Veldkamp said that he and Jaishankar discussed the aftermath of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam in J&K, and the current halt of hostilities between India and Pakistan as a step towards de-escalation. “We look forward to the establishment of our long-term strategic partnership, which includes key areas such as security and critical emerging technologies,” he wrote on X.