In a significant move to bolster global security, Morocco and India held a high-level anti-terrorism meeting in New Delhi on June 22, expanding their joint efforts to include shadowy financial networks, criminal exploitation of technology, and the intertwining of transnational crime with armed groups. The second session of the Morocco-India Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism established a unified framework built on intelligence sharing, institutional capacity-building, and coordinated action within key multilateral platforms.
The talks were led by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counterterrorism at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Hicham Baali, Head of the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) under the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN). Discussions centered on shared threats affecting their respective regions, as well as the global spread of extremist ideologies, illicit funding, technical tools, and the movement of terrorist operatives across borders.
Both delegations issued a joint statement «unequivocally and firmly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism». The representatives also decried the April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and the November 10, 2025 incident near New Delhi’s Red Fort.
tackling terrorist financing, radicalization and tech-driven threats
The agenda covered violent extremism, radicalization pathways, terrorist financing, and the misuse of technology for criminal purposes. The joint communiqué framed the discussions as a joint assessment of «current and emerging challenges in counterterrorism», requiring deep analysis of recruitment tactics, funding sources, communication channels, and digital infrastructures exploited by clandestine networks.
A major focus was placed on «the use of technology for terrorist purposes», encompassing encrypted communication tools, online propaganda, illicit fund transfers, and mechanisms that may facilitate attack planning. While no specific tools were named, the framework ties into broader cooperation on actionable intelligence, prevention, and judicial response.
The two nations also analyzed the deepening ties between «transnational organized crime and terrorism». This convergence spans illicit financing channels, logistics networks, forged documents, trafficking routes, and border-crossing pathways that enable armed groups to move personnel, resources, and equipment.
Another key topic was the «global movement of terrorists», referring to the international travel of armed group members, returnees from conflict zones, and the risks posed by clandestine travel routes. Morocco and India agreed to align their threat assessments to better detect these movements and streamline information-sharing between their competent agencies.
building bilateral and multilateral security frameworks
The delegations explored ways to «deepen bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism through information exchange, capacity development, and sharing best practices». The approach integrates police expertise, threat analysis, specialized training, and comparative analysis of each country’s operational methods.
They reaffirmed their commitment to joint action within the United Nations (UN), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). The communiqué positioned these organizations as central to international coordination on financial standards, preventing violent extremism, judicial cooperation, and cross-border experience-sharing.
Additionally, the two governments agreed to hold the next session of the Joint Working Group in Rabat, with the date to be mutually determined. This third meeting aims to advance the implementation of the New Delhi roadmap and further solidify bilateral mechanisms to address both regional and global threats.
