Abu Dhabi [UAE], May 23 (ANI): A high-level all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde participated in an interaction event with the Indian community in the UAE, where he thanked the leadership of the Gulf nation for extending its support in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

While speaking at the interaction with the Indian Community at Indian Embassy in UAE, MP Shrikant Shinde hailed the longstanding ties between the two countries.

'UAE and India share a very special bond which is beyond trade and culture... since its inception we share a special bond with each other and in testing times we stood by each other. It was UAE who was the first country who condemned this terror attack and stood firmly with India,' he said.

He underscored how such testing times bring forward real friends. MP Shinde said, 'I think it is very important in this tested times... you also come to know who is your real friend, true friend and we came to know that UAE is the country we can rely upon.'

He shared that the delegations held meetings with several dignitaries such as Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence and also the Chairman of the Defence Council along with several think tanks. 'So it was very much overwhelming that UAE understands the pain of India', he said.

He added, 'UAE knows what is happening in India and who is doing it. We are here to send a message to the whole world, a clear-cut message about zero tolerance against terrorism... The whole world should know what is really happening in Asia, what is really happening in India, how India is fighting this terrorism since very long time, since four decades and now we have a new normal that we will not tolerate any kind of terrorist activities, 'zero tolerance against terrorism'-is what our Prime Minister say'.

He highlighted that this message has to be sent clearly to the world because of false propaganda against the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

'In the realm of religion, number of things have been committed... We were overwhelmed by the way Sheikh Nahyan ji, then Dr Ali Rashid Al-Numaniji made very clear-cut statements that terrorism in the name of religion cannot be appreciated, cannot be supported at any point of time. This is very important', MP Shinde said.

Earlier in the day, the delegation paid tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Embassy in the UAE. The delegation held meetings with UAE leadership on the significance of Operation Sindoor and reaffirmed India's firm stance against cross-border terrorism.

UAE is the first stop of the broader four-nation diplomatic outreach by the all-party delegation.

The delegation met Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence. Al Nahyan conveyed his deep condolences for the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

The delegation highlighted the perpetration of cross-border terrorism and Pakistan's efforts to cause social disharmony in India.

'India and UAE will tackle terrorism together. The UAE will always stand by India,' the UAE Minister said.

The all-party delegation comprises MPs Bansuri Swaraj, ET Mohmd Basheer, Atul Garg, Sasmit Patra, Manan Kumar Mishra, BJP leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy.

The delegation held substantive discussions with Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of Federal National Council and other senior Emirati parliamentarians.

The delegation underscored the precise, measured, and non-escalatory nature of Operation Sindoor against the barbaric terrorist attack on the tourists in Kashmir on April 22.

The UAE was among the first countries to issue a statement categorically condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack. UAE leaders, President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally conveyed their condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over phone calls. (ANI)