The aim is to present India’s position on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism effectively on the global stage. These countries have been chosen with careful diplomatic and strategic reasoning to ensure that the world sees Pakistan’s sinister face.
India’s global anti-terror outreach begins Wednesday in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Indian Armed Forces’ strikes on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor. Seven multi-party delegations will be visiting 33 strategically selected countries.
The aim is to present India’s position on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism effectively on the global stage. These countries have been chosen with careful diplomatic and strategic reasoning to ensure that the world sees Pakistan’s sinister face, often hidden beneath its façade of victimhood and poverty.
Countries to be visited by Indian delegations
The delegations will countries across the globe, excluding only Australia.
-
Group 1, led by BJP’s Baijayant Panda, will visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria.
-
Group 2, led by BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, will visit the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, the European Union (EU), Italy and Denmark.
-
Group 3, led by JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, will visit Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
-
Group 4, led by Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde, will visit the UAE, Liberia, Congo and Sierra Leone.
-
Group 5, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, will visit the USA, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia.
-
Group 6, led by DMK’s Kanimozhi, will visit Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia and Russia.
-
Group 7, led by NCP (SCP) leader Supriya Sule, will visit Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia and South Africa.
In essence, India’s outreach spans nearly every inhabited continent.
Here’s a look at reasons for deciding the selection of these 33 countries for India’s outreach
Outreach to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) member nations
A key criterion for selection was current membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This includes permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Russia, as well as non-permanent members: Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia.
Given the UNSC’s central role in global security and counter-terrorism efforts, India’s goal is to sensitise these nations to Pakistan’s support for terrorism, especially as Pakistan is set to serve as a non-permanent UNSC member for the next 17 months and may attempt to present anti-India narratives there.
Regionally and globally influential countries
India has also eyeing nations that wield influence in regional and global affairs. These include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Africa – countries that play key roles in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), ASEAN and the African Union.
For example, Malaysia will chair ASEAN in 2025, and its bilateral ties with India have grown recently. Similarly, India has developed close strategic and economic ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent years.
Several of the selected countries are long-standing strategic partners of India. These include Japan (a Quad member), Russia (a historic ally) and Brazil (a member of BRICS and G20). India maintains deep economic and diplomatic ties with these nations.
Indonesia’s growing relationship with India is also notable. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was the chief guest at India’s 2025 Republic Day celebrations, underscoring the deepening of ties between the two countries.
India’s presence in African countries
India has chosen African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, where it has had a historical and diplomatic presence. For example, between 2000 and 2001, over 4,000 Indian troops served in Sierra Leone as part of the UNAMSIL peacekeeping mission. India also opened a permanent mission there in 2020.
Sierra Leone is a non-permanent UNSC member and India’s development partnerships and aid projects in the region further increase the significance of these nations.
Engagement with European Union and regional blocs
One of the delegations will visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels to highlight Pakistan’s role in global terrorism. India aims to strengthen its engagement with organisations like the African Union and ASEAN, both of which play important roles in shaping global consensus on terrorism.
India also seeks to reach out to countries where Pakistan may exert influence, such as the Gulf nations and Malaysia. Here, India intends to present its position and expose Pakistan’s duplicity.
Gathering global support for fight against terrorism
India’s mission is not only to expose Pakistan but also to build international consensus against terrorism and reinforce its diplomatic posture. Most of the selected 33 countries are either current or upcoming members of the UNSC or enjoy robust economic, defence or cultural ties with India.
For instance, Guyana has a significant Indian diaspora and is currently a non-permanent member of the UNSC. Thus, India’s selection of these countries is strategic, covering influential global and regional players as well as key partners across sectors.
