London: Britain has said it fully supported India "in action and in words" in combating the scourge of international terrorism.

"We are fully with India, in action as well as in words, in combating the scourge of international terrorism," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said at a reception held by the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) on the margins of the Labour Party's annual conference on October 2.

Straw said, "I have come to the reception not only to support LFIN, but to salute India for what it has been, what it is and what it will be."

The reception, held in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner Ronen Sen, was attended by a large gathering including Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Paul Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and several other Cabinet ministers.

In his address, Ronen Sen referred to the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir and said that it was remarkable that despite the severe threats of violence and intimidation, over 43 per cent of the electorate had exercised their franchise.

"Terrorism in India has two targets, undermining India's Democracy and the essence of our civilisation, multi-cultural heritage," Sen said. India, however, was determined that such efforts would not succeed, he said.

The High Commissioner cautioned against making spurious distinctions between global terrorism and regional terrorism.

All terrorism, he said, was part of a single continuum and had to be dealt with as such.

PTI