President Obama asks Pakistan to bring Pathankot attacks to justice

Washington: Treating Pathankot attack at par with 26/11, President Barack Obama today sent out a clear message to Pakistan, asking it to punish its perpetrators amid the US vow to stand with India against terror threats from Pakistan-based groups like JeM, LeT and Dawood "company".

"They (Obama and Modi) called for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice," a joint statement issued after the Obama-Modi meeting at the White House said.

During the meeting, Modi and Obama acknowledged the continued threat posed to human civilisation by terrorism and condemned the recent terrorist incidents from Paris to Pathankot, from Brussels to Kabul, the statement said.

"They resolved to redouble their efforts, bilaterally and with other like-minded countries, to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorism anywhere in the world and the infrastructure that supports them," the statement said.

During the meeting, Obama and Modi committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from extremist groups, such as "al-Qaeda, Daesh/ISIL, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, D Company and their affiliates, including through deepened collaboration on UN terrorist designations."

"In this context, they directed their officials to identify specific new areas of collaboration at the next meeting of US-India Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group," the statement said.

"Recognising an important milestone in the US-India counter-terrorism partnership, the leaders applauded the finalisation of an arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorist screening information," it said.

Modi and Obama also affirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that advances and strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism, the statement said.

Obama also said that he looks forward to India's entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

"Recalling their shared commitment to preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, the leaders looked forward to India’s imminent entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime," said the Joint Statement titled 'The United States and India: Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century'.

The United States and India will work together to combat the threat of terrorists accessing and using chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological materials, it said.

During the meeting, Modi offered to host a Summit on Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism in 2018, which was welcomed by Obama.

They also discussed the steps that the two governments have taken in the last two years in the implemenation of the Civil Nuclear deal, including by addressing the liability issue, "inter alia, through India's ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage".

"Culminating a decade of partnership on civil nuclear issues, the leaders welcomed the start of preparatory work on site in India for six AP 1000 reactors to be built by Westinghouse and noted the intention of India and the US Export-Import Bank to work together toward a competitive financing package for the project," the statement said.

"Once completed, the project would be among the largest of its kind, fulfilling the promise of the US-India civil nuclear agreement and demonstrating a shared commitment to meet India's growing energy needs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

"Both sides welcomed the announcement by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, and Westinghouse that engineering and site design work will begin immediately and the two sides will work toward finalizing the contractual arrangements by June 2017," it said.

The two leaders noted that the United States and India share common climate and clean energy interests and are close partners in the fight against climate change.

"Leadership from both countries helped galvanize global action to combat climate change and culminated in the historic Paris Agreement reached last December.

Both countries are committed to working together and with others to promote full implementation of the Paris Agreement to address the urgent threats posed by climate change," it said.

They recognized the urgency of climate change and share the goal of enabling entry into force of the Paris Agreement as early as possible.

"The United States reaffirms its commitment to join the Agreement as soon as possible this year. India similarly has begun its processes to work toward this shared objective," the statement said.

The leaders reiterated their commitment to pursue low greenhouse gas emission development strategies in the pre-2020 period and to develop long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies.

Further, the two countries will pursue under the leadership of the G20 strong outcomes to promote improved heavy-duty vehicle standards and efficiency in accordance with their national priorities and capabilities.

The two sides also signed an MOU to Enhance Cooperation on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change, and an MOU on Cooperation in Gas Hydrates.

The two sides also signed an MOU to enhance cooperation on Wildlife Conservation and Combating Wildlife Trafficking.