Wuzhen/China: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj raised the February 14 Pulwama terror attack that killed over 40 jawans during her bilateral meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, a day after the Indian Air Force (IAF) destroyed a major Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan
“We’re aware of the recent dastardly terrorist attack on our security forces in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir perpetrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based and supported terrorist organisation proscribed by UN and other countries. We lost over CRPF 40 personnel while several others are injured seriously,” she said in her opening remarks during the meeting held on the side-lines of Russia, India, China Foreign Ministers meeting at Wuzen in China’s north Zhejiang Province.
“I am visiting China at a time when there is grief and anger in India. It is the worst terrorist attack directed against our security forces in Jammu and Kashmir,” she added. “After the Pulwama attack the entire UN has spoken with full voice to condemn it.”
Swaraj, who arrived in China early on Wednesday, told Wang that this is their first meeting this year and therefore an opportune time for the two sides to take stock of the bilateral relations and look ahead for cooperation.
“This is our first meeting this year. Therefore, an opportune time for us to take stock of our bilateral relations and look ahead for cooperation. The India-China relationship is an important relationship for both of our countries.
“It is important to both sides to ensure thorough and effective implementation of the guidance given by our leaders. Both sides have made good efforts in this regard and we should sustain this effort,” added the EAM.
“India-China relations, as you said, is an important relationship for both of our countries. We have made substantial progress in our relations since the informal summit between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in April 2018,” she added.
On February 14, over 40 jawans were killed in a suicide bomb attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, sparking outrage in the country.
Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM’s biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a “very large number” of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.
Bureau Report
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