Addis Ababa: India and Africa on Wednesday came
out strongly against cross-border terrorism asking countries
not to allow their territories to be made a base for
terrorists and sought intensified international cooperation to
snuff out the menace of piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The two sides also highlighted the need for urgent and
comprehensive reform of the UN system and backed each other`s
aspirations to become permanent members of the UN Security
Council with full rights.
The eight-page Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the
end of the two-day Africa-India Forum Summit here, co-chaired
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Equitorial Guinea
President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, called for immediate
cessation of all hostilities in Libya and urged the parties in
the conflict to strive towards a political solution through
peaceful means and dialogue.
The Summit attended by leaders from 15 African
countries unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms
and manifestations.
"An act of terrorism anywhere is a threat to the
entire international community. We recognise the need to
further strengthen international cooperation to combat global
terrorism," the Declaration said.
The leaders made a strong pitch for active prosecution
of the authors of such crimes and their accomplices and urged
that they be brought to justice expeditiously.
"We further call on all countries to ensure that acts
of cross-border terrorism do not occur, and that their
territories are not made a base for terrorists," the
Declaration said.
PTI
