Pulwama attack: Putin backs India’s fight against cross-border terror

Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan, Russia’s President  Vladimir V. Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and underlined Moscow’s solidarity in  India’s fight against terrorism in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in Kashmir, engineered by  Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish e-Mohammad. “President Putin expressed his deep condolences on the Pulwama terrorist attack. He also conveyed solidarity of the people of the Russian Federation with the people of India in the fight against terrorism,” said a statement by India’s external affairs ministry. PM Modi thanked President Putin for “Russia’s steadfast support for India’s efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, and renewed India’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership.”  Both leaders agreed that the concerned should stop all support to terrorism,  a  veiled response to Pakistan’s role in fomenting terror attacks. “Both the leaders also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership from strength to strength.” President Putin invited PM Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year.