India, US agree on joint cyber framework

New Delhi: Stepping up cooperation on counter-terrorism, India and US on Tuesday agreed on a joint cyber framework and intensify intelligence sharing in combating terror and violent extremism.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, after holding the 2nd Indo-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue with US Secretary of State John Kerry, said the two countries agreed on additional measures to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation.

“We agreed on additional measures to strengthen our counter-terrorism cooperation, specifically, to work for early operationalisation of the Agreement on exchange of information on known or suspected terrorists.

“We will also intensify intelligence sharing and continue to work closely to get terrorist entities listed by the UN system, by coordinating our approach to the UN 1267 Committee,” she said at a joint press conference with Kerry.

The US Secretary of State, on his part, said both sides were committed to the joint cyber framework.

“To bolster our mutual defence in an age when threats can come from literally anywhere, we committed to a joint cyber framework to reduce cyber crime, to encourage responsible behaviour in cyber space, to improve coordination among our technical experts and to improve coordination among our law enforcement agencies,” he said.

He said both the countries agreed to expand the exchange of terrorists screening information with an aim to to more effectively counter the threat posed by violent extremism.

—PTI