New Delhi: The India-U.S. Senior Officials’ Homeland Security Dialogue (HSD) convened today in New Delhi, with Shri Ajay Bhalla, Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and Ms. Kristie Canegallo, Acting Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading their respective delegations.
The dialogue served as a platform to review the ongoing cooperation between the two nations in counter-terrorism and security, essential components of the strategic partnership between India and the U.S. Discussions centered on enhancing bilateral efforts to combat terrorism, violent extremism, drug trafficking, organized crime, and ensuring transportation security.
A commitment to strengthen the vibrant people-to-people ties between India and the U.S. was reaffirmed, with a focus on enabling safe and legal migration, countering illegal migration, tackling human trafficking, addressing money laundering, combatting cyber-crimes, and preventing the misuse of the cyber domain for illegal activities, including terror-financing.
The co-chairs expressed their keen interest in consolidating mutually beneficial collaboration between law enforcement agencies in both countries. This collaboration will include the exchange of information, capacity building, technical assistance, and regular meetings of sub-groups established under the framework of the Homeland Security Dialogue.
The dialogue concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on law enforcement training between the U.S. Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre and India’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. This agreement aims to deepen cooperation and knowledge sharing in the realm of law enforcement training.
Both sides agreed to hold the next round of the Senior Officials’ Homeland Security Dialogue in Washington D.C. at a mutually convenient date, further emphasizing the commitment to continuous and robust bilateral cooperation in the field of homeland security.