New Delhi, June 8 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar reiterated India's "zero tolerance" policy for terrorism and the need for decisive international action against terror and those who support it during meetings with British foreign secretary David Lammy on Saturday. Modi said India valued Britain's backing for the fight against cross-border terrorism while Jaishankar said India's partners should understand the "zero tolerance" policy for terrorism as the country will never accept the perpetrators of terrorism being treated at par with victims. The remarks by the top Indian leadership, made against the backdrop of several countries hyphenating India and Pakistan during last month's military clashes, reiterated to the world community New Delhi's new approach to fighting cross-border terrorism backed by Islamabad. Britain's foreign office had said before Lammy's meeting with Indian interlocutors that he would address how the current peace between India and Pakistan can be supported for regional stability. Modi said in a social media post after meeting Lammy that he values "UK's support for India's fight against cross-border terrorism". He also appreciated Lammy's "substantive contribution to the remarkable progress in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, further strengthened by the recently concluded FTA". A statement from the external affairs ministry said Modi had "underscored the need for a decisive international action against terrorism and those who support it" - an apparent reference to Pakistan. The two leaders discussed regional and global issues and Lammy "strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed support for India's fight against cross-border terrorism", the statement said. Modi also expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of the free trade agreement (FTA) and the double contribution convention and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. He welcomed continued collaboration under the Technology Security Initiative (TSI), especially its potential to "shape trusted and secure innovation ecosystems". Modi also reiterated his invitation to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to visit India. Lammy arrived in New Delhi on Saturday morning for meetings to review the bilateral partnership, especially trade and strategic ties, a month after India and the UK finalised the FTA. Lammy had visited Pakistan shortly after New Delhi and Islamabad reached an understanding on halting military actions on May 10. In his opening remarks at the meeting with Lammy, Jaishankar thanked the UK government for the strong condemnation of the "barbaric terrorist attack" in Pahalgam and its support to India in the fight against terror. "We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims," he said. Lammy responded by referring to the "horrific terrorist attack" and said Prime Minister Starmer had asked him to convey the "deep condolences of the UK and a hand of friendship with India and support as we deal with the terrorism threat in a comprehensive manner". Jaishankar described the finalisation of the FTA and double contribution convention as a milestone that will boost two-way trade and investment and have a "positive effect on other strategic aspects" of bilateral relations, besides strengthening supply and value chains. He also referred to other significant initiatives that have seen progress, such as the TSI for deeper collaboration in strategic sectors such as AI, semiconductors, telecom, quantum computing, health technology, critical minerals and advanced materials. The TSI, coordinated by the national security advisers of India and the UK, was launched during Lammy's last visit to New Delhi in July 2024. "We have also launched the Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue, the first meeting of which was held.this week. This will enhance, among others, the TSI's effectiveness in promoting trade in critical and emerging technologies, including the resolution of relevant licencing or regulatory issues," Jaishankar said. The India-UK infrastructure financial bridge can unlock quality long-term capital flows from Britain to India and contribute to infrastructure development, and there is also good collaboration in the education sector with many UK universities planning to establish campuses in India, he said. Lammy described the finalisation of the FTA as Britain winning a "trophy" and the beginning of a new era in bilateral ties since it is expected to increase will trade by £25.5 billion. He also conveyed the UK's interest in enhancing cooperation in key sectors such as trade, investment, defence and security, technology, innovation and clean energy. Lammy also met commerce minister Piyush Goyal and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. A readout from Britain's foreign office said bolstering economic and migration ties and delivering growth opportunities for British businesses topped the agenda for Lammy's visit. Lammy also focused on the migration partnership, including "work on safeguarding citizens and securing borders in both countries". The readout added, "Addressing migration remains a top priority for the government - the Foreign Secretary is focused on working internationally with global partners to secure the UK's borders at home." Lammy's visit would also prepare the grounds for a visit by Starmer to India for the formal signing of the FTA. Both countries are currently involved in the legal scrubbing of the FTA, a process expected to be completed in three months. During 2023-24, India was the UK's second largest source of investments in terms of number of projects for the fifth consecutive year. India was the UK's 11th largest trading partner in 2024, accounting for 2.4% of total British trade, and two-way trade in goods and services was worth nearly $57 billion in 2024....