India confronting challenge of terrorism, shared threat to international community: Jaishankar

New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said India is "confronting" the challenge of terrorism, which is a "shared threat" to the international community.

The minister thanked those who have expressed solidarity with the country and understand the "resolute response that is underway".

He was delivering an address at an event hosted at the Russian Embassy here to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II.

"It is a great pleasure to join you all on this occasion to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the war over fascism in 1945," Jaishankar said.

"We also meet at a time when India is confronting the challenge of terrorism, one that is a shared threat to the international community. I thank those who have expressed solidarity with us and understand the resolute response that is underway," he added.

The Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out precise missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

India on Thursday thwarted Pakistan's attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles at 15 places in northern and western regions of the country and targeted Pakistani air defence systems with one in Lahore being "neutralised".

Since the dastardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar have received calls from their counterparts in several countries, condemning the April 22 attack, conveying condolences over the loss of lives and expressing solidarity with India.

Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed to Prime Minister Modi in a phone call on May 5 that his nation fully backs India's fight against terrorism and that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack must be brought to justice.

A Russian embassy readout had said that Putin described the terror attack as "barbaric" and the two leaders emphasised the need for an "uncompromising fight" against terrorism in all its manifestations.

Jaishankar in his address at the embassy also said, "Today is an occasion for hope and optimism, as also for remembrance, underpinned by the conviction, that international cooperation is even more important than even before." "It is an endorsement of our diplomatic endeavours be that bilateral, regional or multilateral," he added.

Russian envoy Denis Alipov and several other diplomats were present on the occasion.

The backdrop on the stage depicted the famous Red Square landmark of Moscow.

Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive military parade on Red Square on Friday attended by President Putin and various foreign leaders.

The Soviet Army had launched an offensive against Nazi Germany in January 1945. The commanders-in-chief signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany on May 9, ending the war.

Jaishankar said it is hard to overstate the importance of such a momentous event, "one that laid the foundation for the current world order".

"The contribution that Indians made to this defining event is well known. It ranged from the Burma, North Africa and Italy campaigns to the Persian Corridor to the Soviet Union and the hump over the Himalayas. I am glad today that the Russian Embassy recognise the efforts through a plaque," he added.

The minister said "much has changed" in the years that have passed, as decolonisation gathered pace, the membership of the United Nations has quadrupled.

"There has been a significant rebalancing of the global economy, the world has returned to its natural diversity and pluralism," Jaishankar said.

"Today, we strive to create a more equal and a contemporary global system, especially through reformed multilateralism. India hopes that this would be done through deeper international cooperation, inspired by the manner in which the world came together eight decades ago," he added. PTI KND AS AS