Terrorism can't be justified on any grounds: Hamid Ansari in Rwanda

Kigali: India today called for concerted international efforts to deal with terrorism, asserting that it is a major hurdle in the quest for peace and cannot be justified on any grounds, in a veiled attack on Pakistan.

"The threat of terrorism has emerged as a major impediment in our quest for peace and prosperity for our people. The spreading tide of terrorism and extremism is a threat that all civilised societies face today. In India we face the threat from across our borders," Vice President Hamid Ansari said.

"Terrorist action and violence cannot be justified on any grounds. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and call for strong and concerted international efforts to deal with this menace in a comprehensive manner," he said, addressing a gathering at the University of Rwanda here on the last day of his visit to the country.

Ansari said that India also remains committed to ensuring stability and peace in Africa under a genuine multilateral effort led by United Nations.

"In pursuance of this commitment, India has over 6,000 personnel committed to UN peacekeeping duties in Africa. In addition, we have worked bilaterally with our African partners to enhance defence training and capacity building in security domains," he said.

Ansari, who arrived here on February 19, invoked Mahatma Gandhi to emphasise the ties between India and Africa.

"We share similar views and positions on a variety of global concerns, ranging from combating terrorism and piracy to coordinating our positions in global forums over issues such as reforms at the United Nations, world trade and climate change.

He said the reform of political, security and economic institutions of global governance has been a key area of such cooperation, with both Africa and India underlining the urgency of undertaking such reforms, including a meaningful expansion of the United Nations Security Council.

"In a time when the global political and economic situation is marked by uncertainty and upheavals threaten the stability of the global order, the need for developing economies, which seek stability, peace and prosperity for their people, to cooperate and consult each other in a new spirit of solidarity assumes renewed significance," he said.