India has the right to defend itself against terror: Germany

NEW DELHI: India has zero tolerance for terrorism and will never give in to nuclear blackmail, external affairs minister S Jaishankar told his German counterpart Johann Wadephul after a meeting Friday.

In a media statement after the meeting, Wadephul condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, supported India's right to defend itself against terrorism, and also advocated bilateral solution between India and Pakistan.

In his media remarks, Jaishankar also said that India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally. "There should be no confusion in any quarter in that regard. We also value Germany's understanding that every nation has a right to defend itself against terrorism," said Jaishankar.

Wadephul said Germany was appalled by the brutal terrorist attack on India on April 22. "We condemned this attack on civilians in the strongest terms. Our deepest sympathy goes out to all victims and their families. After military attacks on both sides, India, of course, has every right to defend itself against terrorism. The fact that the truce is now in place is something we appreciate very much," he said.

"What is important now is that this truce remains stable, that dialogue can happen in order to find bilateral solutions for that conflict, taking into account the vital interests of both sides. Germany and India have been fostering a regular dialogue on the fight against terrorism for years, and we intend to intensify it further," added the German minister.

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