Washington, July 20, SPA -- All democratic societies must be aggressive in countering the actions of terrorists, but should avoid curtailing freedoms for the sake of combating extremism, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday during a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Singh said that both the United States and India have suffered as a result of terrorism, and he called for greater collaboration to protect open societies around the world. "As democracies, we must work together to create a world in which democracies can flourish. This is particularly important because we are today faced with new tests, such as global terrorism, to which democracies are particularly vulnerable," he said. Singh, on a four-day U.S. trip, is one of very few foreign leaders who have addressed Congress since President George W. Bush took office in January 2001. He used the speech, as he has most of his trip, as an opportunity to develop a "new global partnership" on foreign policy, technology, and humanitarian causes. Singh told Congress that despite the terrorism threat, democracies should continue to provide legitimate means for expressing dissent and the right to engage in political activity. "The very openness of our societies makes us more vulnerable," he said. "For this very reason they cannot afford to be soft on terror." Singh cautioned against being selective in the war against terrorism, and stressed that the fight against extremist political or religious views must be waged without losing the openness democratic societies "value and cherish."--SPA1306 Local Time 1006 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/278033