Colombia Withdraws Condolence To Pakistan After India Explains Terror Link
In a strong show of solidarity, the Parliament of Sierra Leone condemned the terrorist attack at Pahalgam and observed a moment of silence to honour the victims of the attack, the statement said.
New Delhi: Colombia has withdrawn a statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives following India's military strikes in response to the Pahalgam attack after an Indian parliamentary delegation explained Islamabad's relentless support to cross-border terrorism and how India has been suffering due to it.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota's withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio. Tharoor had earlier voiced his deep disappointment over Colombia's statement.
“Began today with an excellent meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and her senior colleagues dealing with the Asia-Pacific. I expressed India’s view of recent events and voiced disappointment at Colombia’s statement on 8 May conveying “heartfelt condolences” to Pakistan. The Minister assured me that the statement had been withdrawn and that our position was now properly understood and strongly supported,” Tharoor said.
"...We are very confident that with the explanation that we received today and the detailed information that we now have regarding the real situation, the conflict, and what happened in Kashmir, we can also continue the dialogue..." Villavicencio said.
The all-party delegation led by MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in Latvia met State Secretary Andzejs Vilumsons, who reiterated his country's unequivocal opposition to terrorism in all its forms and termed India a significant player in the Indo-Pacific region for peace and stability.
"State Secretary reiterated Latvia's strong condemnation of the terror attack in Pahalgam in April, and its unequivocal opposition to terrorism in all its forms. The Latvian side noted India as a significant player in the Indo-Pacific region for peace and stability," the Indian Embassy in Riga posted on X.
Separately, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X: "The state secretary took the opportunity to express Latvia's interest in promoting bilateral relations with India as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the areas of political dialogue and economic cooperation."
Sierra Leone has expressed strong support to India's stance on combating terrorism, with Deputy Defence Minister Muana Brima Massaquoi highlighting the urgent need for African nations to unite against the menace and warning that inaction could bring the threat to their shores. Sierra Leone's support came as an Indian all-party delegation, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde visited Sierra Leone from May 28-30 as part of India's diplomatic outreach following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
In a strong show of solidarity, the Parliament of Sierra Leone condemned the terrorist attack at Pahalgam and observed a moment of silence to honour the victims of the attack, the statement said.
The all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad visiting Copenhagen on Saturday apprised the Danish leaders of challenges posed by cross-border terrorism to India, emphasising Denmark's important voice in global affairs as a powerful tool in the fight against the global menace.
“Denmark's important voice in global affairs - as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and incoming EU Presidency - was highlighted as a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism,” the Indian Embassy said in a post on X.
