Morocco and India deepen counter-terrorism ties in New Delhi talks

On June 22 in New Delhi, Morocco and India broadened their counter-terrorism collaboration to tackle clandestine financial networks, the misuse of technology by criminal groups, the intersections between transnational crime and armed factions, and the cross-border movements of terror operatives. The second joint Morocco-India counter-terrorism working group meeting established a shared framework built on intelligence sharing, institutional capacity-building, and alignment within key multilateral forums.

The session was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Hicham Baali, Head of Morocco’s National Brigade of Judicial Police under the Directorate General of National Security. Discussions centered on threats facing both regions, the global circulation of extremist ideologies, illicit funding streams, technical tools, and the transnational mobility of terror networks.

In a joint statement, delegations from both nations «unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism». They also condemned the April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and the November 10, 2025 incident near New Delhi’s Red Fort.

Terror financing, radicalization and digital threats

The talks addressed violent extremism, radicalization pathways, terror financing, and criminal exploitation of technology. The communiqué framed these exchanges as a joint assessment of «current and emerging challenges in counter-terrorism», requiring deep analysis of recruitment strategies, funding sources, communication channels, and digital infrastructures leveraged by clandestine organizations.

A key focus was placed on «the use of technology for terror purposes», covering encrypted communication tools, online propaganda, illicit fund transfers, and systems that enable attack planning. No specific tools were disclosed, but the issue was linked to broader cooperation on actionable intelligence, prevention, and judicial response.

Rabat and New Delhi also analyzed the «nexus between transnational organized crime and terrorism». This overlap spans funding networks, logistics pipelines, forged documents, trafficking routes, and border-crossing mechanisms that facilitate the movement of people, resources, and equipment.

Delegations explored the «global movement of terrorists», referring to the international journeys of armed group members, returnees from conflict zones, and the risks posed by clandestine travel routes. Both governments aim to align their threat assessments to better detect these movements and streamline information sharing between relevant agencies.

Strengthening bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism efforts

Morocco and India reviewed methods to «enhance bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation through intelligence exchange, institutional capacity-building, and best practice sharing». This includes police expertise, threat analysis, specialized training, and comparative evaluations of each country’s approaches.

Delegations reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated action within the United Nations, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF). These platforms were highlighted as central to global standards on financial controls, violent extremism prevention, judicial cooperation, and peer learning among states.

Both countries agreed to hold a third joint working group session in Morocco at a mutually determined date. This next meeting will build on the New Delhi outcomes, translating shared priorities into tighter bilateral mechanisms while continuing to address regional and global threats.