Brown asks India to support 'eradication' of terror funding
Sunday, 20 Jan 2008 20:17
Gordon Brown seeks greater terror fight contribution from India
Gordon Brown has used an official visit to India to call on the south Asian country to support international efforts to end funding for terrorism.
The prime minister said the Indian government had the chance to contribute towards "eradicating" terror funding through the Financial Action Taskforce.
Speaking to journalists upon arrival at New Delhi after flying out from Shanghai, Mr Brown said the "battle for hearts and minds" could only be won if the structures that support terrorist ideologies were destroyed.
"We have to work more closely on dealing with how people enter and use ports and airports, whether we can have far more secure detection, mega detectors that can look at how people can be prevented from entering our country and other countries with terrorist weapons or bomb-making equipment," he told reporters.
"In all countries in the world, we should have a very strong message going out against extremist ideologies which poison young people in particular and breed terrorists for the future."
Mr Brown is later due to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, where he is expected to "focus heavily" on economic and trade issues.
He is set to unveil plans for a "partnership of equals… the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy, working together for common objectives".
In his official visit to China, his first since becoming prime minister, Mr Brown championed UK business and trade links with Beijing, as well as pledging to play a leading role in sustainable developments.
But he has faced criticism for not putting human rights on the agenda in talks with Chinese premier Wen Jiabio.