India-Uzbekistan counter-terrorism JWG holds 10th meeting in New Delhi
Why in the news
India and Uzbekistan held the 10th meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi on 22 October 2026 and agreed to deepen cooperation.
Key facts
- Co-chairs: Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary (Counter Terrorism), MEA; and Pirimkulov Gulomjon Shodmonkulovich, a department head in Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dealing with South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
- Topics: threats from terror groups worldwide and in the region, radicalisation, terror financing, use of technology by terrorists, and the organised crime-terror link.
- Bilateral steps: sharing information, building capacity and exchanging best practices between agencies.
- Multilateral forums: the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) and the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG).
- On 24 October 2026, Sibi George, Secretary (West), MEA, met the Uzbek co-chair to discuss counter-terrorism and other shared interests.
- The next meeting will take place in Uzbekistan.
| Meeting | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 9th JWG | 30 September 2025 | Tashkent |
| 10th JWG | 22 October 2026 | New Delhi |
About the forums
- SCO-RATS is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
- EAG is the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism.
Exam angle
- Note the meeting number (10th), venue (New Delhi) and the next venue (Uzbekistan).
- Know the expansions of SCO-RATS and EAG.
- The 9th meeting in Tashkent was co-chaired on the Indian side by Dr Vinod J. Bahade, then Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism).