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Indian PM Manmohan Singh ends Russia visit

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009. (UPI Photo/ David Silpa)
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009. (UPI Photo/ David Silpa) | License Photo

MOSCOW, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Russia and India, in a strongly worded joint statement, spoke out against the "sheltering, arming, training or financing of terrorists."

The joint statement, issued after a meeting in Moscow between visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Vladimir Putin and carried on the Indian leader's web site, said the two sides "condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and agreed that there should be no tolerance for sheltering, arming, training or financing of terrorists."

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In what was described by the Times of India as a signal to Pakistan, which is accused of allowing its territory to be used for launching terror attacks, the statement said: "States that provide aid, [abet] and shelter for such terrorist activities are themselves as guilty as the actual perpetrators of terrorism."

Both sides "need to irreversibly shut down terrorist networks, organizations and infrastructure, and show tangible movement in investigating and bringing quickly to justice all those responsible for acts of terrorism."

The statement said there cannot be ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic or any other justification for terror.

On other issues, the two countries "expressed the strong belief" the crisis in Syria should be resolved by political means.

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India and Russia also stressed the "significant potential" for cooperation in various sectors including energy, infrastructure, mining, fertilizers and aviation.

Singh and Putin said their countries would speed up concluding a framework agreement to build the third and fourth reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in South India, RIA Novosti reported. Putin said the first reactor at the plant was set to operate this week.

Singh left Moscow Tuesday for China on the second leg of his two-nation visit.

The Hindustan Times said while in China, Singh was expected to conclude a border defense cooperation pact. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited India in May.

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