The European Union and India convened the 15th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (CT) on 9 September 2025 in Brussels, co-chaired by Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service, and K.D. Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter-terrorism) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
During the dialogue, both sides strongly condemned the terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam, with the EU expressing condolences for the loss of innocent lives. They reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism in all forms, including cross-border threats, emphasizing that terrorism is a global challenge requiring sustained and comprehensive international cooperation. Both parties highlighted the importance of collaboration in multilateral fora such as the United Nations, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The discussions included an exchange of domestic, regional, and global threat assessments, noting that instability and conflicts in various regions continue to fuel terrorism and violent extremism. The dialogue also covered key counter-terrorism measures, including efforts to counter the financing of terrorism, prevent online radicalization, share designations of terrorists and terrorist entities, and address emerging technological threats.
Both sides explored ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and identified priorities for future collaboration. The next meeting of the Joint Working Group is scheduled to take place in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.
