Terrorism is a major threat to societies and collective action by the international community against it can no longer be postponed, President Pranab Mukherjee has said. He said there can be no justification for terrorism and its use as an instrument of state policy is perilous and reprehensible.

Welcoming Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, the president said terrorism is a major threat to all societies and India unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. 

"We believe that the international community should cooperate closely to address this menace. Collective, coordinated action by the international community against terrorism can no longer be postponed," Mukherjee was quoted as having said in a press release issued on Tuesday by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The president also hosted a banquet for his Turkish counterpart. In his banquet speech, Mukherjee said the scourge of terrorism has afflicted India and Turkey for decades. "India believes that there can be no justification, whatsoever for terrorism. Its use as an instrument of state policy is perilous and reprehensible. We believe that closer co-ordination and concerted efforts by the international community are necessary to tackle this menace effectively," he said.

Mukherjee said another global challenge of unprecedented scale is the impact of climate change. "There is an urgent need for the world to use science, technology and best practises to achieve the agreed targets so that we can honestly claim to have made the world a better place to live in," he said.

The visiting president was accompanied by his wife Emine Erdogan at the event. Welcoming the President of Turkey on his first state visit to India, the president recalled his visit to Turkey in October 2013. Mukherjee's expressed confidence that President Erdogan's State visit will impart new impetus to bilateral cooperation between India and Turkey.

The president said he was happy to note that the bilateral trade turnover between India and Turkey has grown manifold during the last ten years. Presently it is at the level of about $5 billion.

"However, the potential is much more. Our business community and investors on both sides should actively work together to avail the current opportunities," Mukherjee said.

The president said the relationship between India and Turkey pre-dates the establishment of the diplomatic ties of these two modern and independent nations. The president said on Tuesday, as two emerging economies in a globalised world, we both seek to enhance our economic cooperation to avail the current opportunities and build on our complementaries for our mutual benefit.

"India's recent economic reforms and flagship initiatives have made us an attractive business destination. India welcomes Turkish companies to invest in India -- especially in the infrastructure sector where they have exceptional expertise. Equally, we encourage Indian companies to explore prospects in Turkey," Mukherjee said.

Source: Timesofoman