India made a strong pitch for a joint effort to combat the menace of extremism and terrorism at the Second Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations held in Istanbul.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, who attended the two-day meeting, underscored the need to combat the scourge of extremism and terrorism.

He called for a joint effort of the participating countries to tackle the menace and also stressed on the need for a dialogue amongst civilizations in the true spirit of conciliation and peaceful co-existence.

The UN Alliance of Civilizations is a key international initiative aimed at promoting dialogue and advancing inter-cultural understanding.

The meeting in Istanbul, concluded on Wednesday, was attended by 84 countries and 16 international organizations including several heads of states, government and foreign ministers.

Highlighting that India supports sincere efforts to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding, Sharma said there is need to create an enabling environment for dialogue and understanding between cultures and civilizations in a spirit of tolerance, harmony and mutual respect, particularly when the global economic crisis may fuel further tension.

On the sidelines of the forum, Sharma held bilateral talks with foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Spain, Turkey and Portugal.