Riyadh, May 30: The Indian all-party delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda, on Friday concluded a productive visit to Saudi Arabia, reaffirming India’s zero tolerance and ‘New Normal’ approach to terrorism.

The delegation, a part of India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ outreach campaign, conveyed India’s firm stance against terrorism and its continued efforts to combat this global menace in all its forms and manifestations.

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Saudi Arabia in the fight against terrorism.

“On departure, Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the Saudi-India Friendship Committee of the Shura Council bid farewell to the delegation,” Indian Embassy in Riyadh posted on X.

The delegation on Thursday held extensive interactions with a cross-section of the Indian community highlighting India’s continued efforts to combat terrorism, and countering radicalism and extremism, to ensure peace and prosperity in the nation.

The delegation also expressed satisfaction that the Indian community in Saudi Arabia has remained connected to Bharat’s progress and continues to be law-abiding residents, and is contributing to further strengthening the growing India–Saudi Arabia partnership. They also appreciated that Saudi Arabia has always stood with India in condemning acts of terrorism.

“Our Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia continues to make India proud through its success, contributions & standing in local society. Today, our all-party delegation engaged with them, sharing India’s united national stance, the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’, and our unwavering commitment to combat cross-border terrorism with a zero-tolerance approach,” Panda posted on X.

They visited Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in Riyadh and held interactions with the President of the University, Abdulmajeed Albanyan. The delegates shared strong concerns about cross-border terrorism and India’s position of zero tolerance against terrorism.

“The delegation appreciated the ongoing cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia in security sciences, and between NAUSS and Indian institutions. It conveyed India’s approach to terrorism and explored avenues for collaborations in new technologies such as AI, Quantum in countering cross-border terrorism,” the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a statement.

“The delegation also visited the Gulf Research Centre in Riyadh, a premier research institution in the country, and met with Chairman Abdulaziz Sager. The Indian delegates spoke on India’s national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations, underlining that India has suffered the menace of cross-border terrorism for more than three decades, leading to the loss of innocent lives and civilian property. The Indian delegation highlighted that ‘Operation Sindoor’ has carved out a new benchmark in India’s fight against terrorism,” the statement added.

The delegation, led by Panda, includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak, BJP MP Rekha Sharma, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Indian diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Panama City, May 28: Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, the President of Panama and a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has expressed “support for India’s fight against terrorism,” Congress MP Sashi Tharoor said after a delegation of members of Parliament met him.

At their “constructive and productive” meeting in the Presidential Palace, Mulino “expressed his understanding and support for India’s fight against terrorism,” Tharoor, who heads the delegation, said in a post on X on Wednesday (local time).

Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez, who hosted a lunch for the delegation, was at the meeting with the President along with several senior officials.

Martinez-Acha “extended full support understanding of Panama on terrorism for India,” Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a former ambassador to the US who is accompanying the delegation, said in an X post.

They were joined by Vice-Minister Carlos Hoyos, as well as two members of Panama’s National Assembly, which was “a tribute to the regard in which India is held here,” Tharoor said.

During the meeting, Tharoor passed around pictures of Pakistani officials at the funeral of Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a senior leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and a designated a terrorist by the United Nations Sanctions Committee.

“There is no greater proof of official complicity” of Pakistan with terrorism, he told them.

Pakistan military’s top brass, including Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah and Maj Gen Rao Imran, and Punjab Police Inspector General Usman Anwar were among those who attended the funerals of Rauf and other terrorists killed in the Operation Sindoor hits on terrorism centres.

The parliamentary delegation was visiting this influential Central American country that is an elected member of the UN Security Council to make clear India’s policy of zero-tolerance for terrorism in the aftermath of the religiously motivated massacre of 26 people at Pahalgam by Pakistan-linked terrorists.

India launched Operation Sindoor to hit the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan and the areas of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Islamabad launched attacks on targets in India, including temples, gurdwaras, and a convent, escalating the conflict.

Reflecting a broad national consensus on the issue, the delegation included parliamentarians from across party lines Shambhavi of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Sarfaraz Ahmad of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Milind Murli Deora of the Shiv Sena, and BJP leaders Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya, along with GM Harish Balayogi of the Telugu Desam Party.

The delegation, which has visited New York and Guyana, is to visit Colombia and Brazil and head to Washington in the quest to rally support for India against terrorism.

Brussels, May 29: The European Union (EU) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have formally launched negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a potential breakthrough towards the EU’s first comprehensive trade deal in the Gulf region, said the European Commission.

This initiative also aims to expand further the EU’s global trade network, which currently comprises 44 agreements with 76 countries, said the Commission on Wednesday.

According to a press release of the Commission, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi met in Dubai to reaffirm their shared vision for the agreement and agree on a roadmap, with substantive work expected to begin as early as June.

The first meetings of negotiating teams will focus on reducing tariffs on goods and facilitating services, digital trade and investment flows media reports.

Talks will also explore ways to boost trade in strategic sectors, such as renewable energy, green hydrogen and critical raw materials.

Sefcovic emphasized that a bilateral FTA would unlock “tremendous business opportunities” for both European and Emirati enterprises, while also bolstering the EU’s regional engagement with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the launch of the talks as a “significant milestone,” noting that the agreement would deepen EU-Gulf ties, create new opportunities for European businesses, and strengthen cooperation in key areas such as renewable energy and digital technologies.

To address the uncertainty of US trade policy, the EU is strengthening cooperation with other economies to promote trade diversification and reduce its reliance on the United States.

Last Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that he is “recommending a straight 50 per cent Tariff on the EU, starting on June 1, 2025.” But after a phone call with von der Leyen on Sunday, he agreed to postpone the planned tariff increase until July 9. On Tuesday, Trump welcomed the EU’s decision to proceed with negotiations, calling it a positive step, but he again warned that he would enforce trade measures if a deal is not reached.