Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in Germany on Monday, described terrorism as the “gravest challenge facing humanity”, PTI reported. Modi is on a four-nation tour, and will visit Spain, France and Russia next.

He spoke to German newspaper Handelsblatt and said that Europe has been hit very hard by terrorism and that the European Union and countries in the region needed to play a major role in combating it with the help of the United Nations. “The European Union is an important global player. Its stability has a significant bearing on global developments, including peace and security,” he said.

He also pushed for India’s entry to the UN’s Security Council and said India had been seeking to reform the body for some time now. Modi also spoke about immigration and said, “We do have concerns regarding protectionist and anti-immigrant sentiments in the world. We are hopeful that they will be addressed.”

His remarks come after a series of terror attacks across the world, including in Britain and Europe. The most recent one was at a Manchester arena during a concert by pop artist Ariana Grande. Twenty-two people died in the bombing.

Here are some of the other things Modi told Handelsblatt:

  • He asked Europe to ensure that the global economy “remains open for international trade and free flow of investment and people”.  
  • He said Germany is one of the”most open” and “fastest growing major economies in the world”.
  • “We live in an interconnected world. Movement of goods, capital and people across borders is essential to our collective progress and to realise the benefits of globalisation,” he said.
  • “India values its strong and multi-faceted relationship with both the United Kingdom and the European Union and is committed to further strengthening its ties with both the strategic partners. We will continue this approach.”