UNSC Counter-Terrorism meet to begin its deliberations in Mumbai is a message in itself: MEA

New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): India on Wednesday said that it will host the anti- terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in Mumbai, the best city in terms of its economic development in recent years, at Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, pointing to the special significance of one of the sites of 2008 terror attack.
In a press briefing at a special meeting of the UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), Sanjay Verma, Secretary (W), Ministry of External Affairs, said, “A city which reflects the best of India in terms of its economic development in recent years. The fact that the CTC has agreed to begin its deliberations in Mumbai is a message in itself.
The UNSC CTC will be hosted in Mumbai and Delhi on October 28th and 29th respectively.
“Overarching theme would be ‘Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes’. It will begin with a tribute to victims of terrorism,” said Verma.
It will focus on the use of the internet, payment mechanism, and drones by terrorists.
He also said that the Foreign Minister of Ghana, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; Foreign Minister of Gabon, Michael Moussa-Adamo; Minister of State of UAE, Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UK’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly; Deputy Foreign Minister of Albania, Megi Fino and UN Deputy Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov will be in Mumbai for the counter-terror meet.
Notably, this will be the first high-level visit from a UK official to India since Rishi Sunak took charge as UK’s new Prime Minister on Tuesday.
“The larger purpose of this unprecedented meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai will resonate with the rest of the world because what happened in 2008 was an attack on what would be the identity of India in financial and commercial space,” said Verma.
Speaking about Pakistan coming out of Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘grey list’, he said, “Because of FATF, Pakistan had to admit and begin some sort of legal process against two individuals directly responsible for 26/11.” (ANI)