12th ASIM: Vice President of India calls for early adoption of CCIT

The CCIT intends to criminalise all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers' and supporters' access to funds, arms, and safe havens.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) that it had introduced in the UN in 1996.

During his interventions at the 12th Asia-India Meeting (ASM) here, he said India valued ASM as a platform that brings together the leadership of Asia and Europe, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

"Terming terrorism as a major threat to peace and stability, he called for an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, stressing peace is the prerequisite for progress, and peace cannot be achieved without combatting terrorism," it stated.

The CCIT intends to criminalise all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers' and supporters' access to funds, arms, and safe havens.

Naidu also cited India's international connectivity projects and emphasised: "connectivity initiatives must meet universally recognised international norms such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity".

ASEM is an Asian-European political dialogue forum to enhance relations and various forms of cooperation among its partners.

(With inputs from agencies.)