Cross-border terrorism is unacceptable as it violates the basic principles of international relations, and zero-tolerance for terrorism must be an "uncompromising universal norm", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday (January 31, 2026).
India has the right to defend itself against terrorism: External Affairs Minister
In an address at the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting, he also asserted that societies targeted by terrorism have the right to defend themselves and will "understandably exercise it".
Mr. Jaishankar, touching upon the current geopolitical environment, said nowhere is this more apparent than in the Middle East as the landscape in the region has undergone a dramatic change in the last year.
"This obviously impacts all of us and India as a proximate region. To a considerable degree, its implications are relevant for India's relationship with Arab nations as well," he said.
