India and Iraq on Friday condemned the phenomenon of terrorism and extremism, affirming that it threatened all societies and was not linked to any race, colour or belief.
"The international community must, therefore, resolutely combat terrorism. The two sides further agreed to cooperate on counter-terrorism," said a joint statement issued after the talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Irqi counterpart Nouri Al- Maliki.
"Recognising that the two countries face similar challenges being pluralistic societies, the two leaders noted that tolerance, religious harmony and brotherhood, irrespective of faith or ethnic background, were part of the principles, ethos and values of the two countries. India reiterated its commitment to supporting the emergence of a stable, peaceful, united and democratic Iraq," the statement adds.
The two sides discussed several regional and international issues, including the security situation in West Asia, Middle East and South Asia. There was convergence of views on the subject.
The two sides agreed that the Afghanistan issue concerned regional security and stability. They reiterated their support for an "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" reconciliation process and their commitment to working with regional countries and the international community to help Afghanistan achieve its objective of peace, stability, independence and development at an early date.
The two leaders called upon all sides in Syria to abjure violence and resolve all issues peacefully through dialogue taking into account the aspirations of the people of Syria. Both leaders agreed that any external military intervention in Syria's internal affairs should be excluded.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of an effective multilateral system, centred on a United Nations reflective of contemporary realities, as a key factor in tackling global challenges.
"In this context, they stressed upon the urgent need to pursue reforms of the United Nations, including of the Security Council through an expansion in both categories of its membership, to make it more representative, credible and effective. Prime Minister Maliki reiterated his country's support for India's candidature for the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council," the joint statement said.