Terrorism becomes global issue disturbing social peace: Hamid Ansari

India has said, terrorism has become a global issue, one which is disturbing social peace and impacting development.Talking to media onboard the special flight to Nigerian capital Abuja, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari said, eliminating terrorism is in everybody's interest and mechanisms such as intelligence sharing between countries are in place.

On a query on India's approach to raising issues of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan with members of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the Vice President said, the facts of the issue are pretty clear and all nations, not just OIC, are aware of the problem of state-sponsored terrorism. He said, while India is engaged bilaterally with OIC states, the organisation itself had limited relevance given its consensus-based approach of functioning.

On his visit to Nigeria and Mali, the Vice President said, it is part of the government's very



focused approach to all regions of Africa.On reforms in the United Nations, Mr Ansari said, although there are obstacles in the path, but the reforms in the UN Security Council are inevitable.

Later, after reaching Abuja, the Vice President inaugurated the Chancery complex of the Indian High Commission. He also inaugurated a photo exhibition showcasing old pictures of various Indian leaders who had visited Nigeria, including former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr. Manmohan Singh. Mr Ansari also Addressed the Indian community present on the occasion. 

Mr Ansari will hold talks with Nigerian President Muhammudu Buhari and Vice President Prof. Yemi Osibanjo. Several issues, including terrorism, will be high on the agenda.

The Vice President will visit the Nigerian city of Lagos before leaving for Mali on Thursday. He will return home on Saturday.