Freetown [Sierra Leone], May 31 (ANI): Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, who is leading an Indian parliamentary delegation to Sierra Leone, met with the country's Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on Friday (local time).

During the meeting, Vice President Jalloh expressed Sierra Leone's strong support for India in its fight against terrorism and assured that the issue would be raised using the country's position at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

'We outrightly condemn terrorism, we know the devastating impact it has not only on the security but also on the development prospects of the country... I want to assure you that Sierra Leone will use the United Nations Security Council, our position in the African Union, and the OIC, wherever we have the platform, because it is not only an issue of Asia but also in our neighbourhood... I will also deliver your message to the President of the country, who is out of the country and will be back on Sunday,' Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, P Alghali, met with the Shrikant Shinde-led delegation on Friday (local time) and condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.

Alghali further reaffirmed that Sierra Leone, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, also expressed concerns regarding the attack in the Security Council statement.

'We have a very vibrant Indian diaspora population in Sierra Leone, and they have contributed a lot to the economy and the relationship with India. So consider yourself at home here. We are aware of the matter between Indian and Pakistan and the recent terrorist attack that happened in April. We condemn the violence and the loss of life of innocent civilians. We want to commiserate with India for that loss. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, we expressed our concerns regarding the attack in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the Security Council statement that was put out on the 25th of April,' Alghali said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Biju Janata Dal's Sasmit Patra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy are also part of the Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde-led delegation.

The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders. (ANI)