News Analysis India

Tag: BRICS virtual summit

  • BRICS members should provide mutual support in designation of terrorists: PM Narendra Modi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said at the BRICS virtual summit that member nations should understand security concerns of each other and provide mutual support in the designation of terrorists and that this sensitive issue should not be “politicised”, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

    The comments came days after China blocked a joint proposal by India and the US to designate Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as an international terrorist under the UN sanctions committee. In a statement, the MEA provided the details of the prime minister’s suggestions and comments at the two-day BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) summit that concluded on Friday.

    “The Prime Minister also noted that as BRICS member we should understand security concerns of each other and provide mutual support in designation of terrorists; this sensitive issue should not be politicised,” the MEA said.

    After China blocked the proposal to designate Makki, Indian government sources said the decision runs counter to its claim of combating terrorism and signals its “double standards”. Makki has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youths to resort to violence and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

    At the BRICS summit, the prime minister also highlighted India’s development partnership with Africa, Central Asia, South East Asia, and from Pacific to the Caribbean, the MEA said. The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade.

  • BRICS to stem Afghanistan terror export laid in joint declaration

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Countering terror, particularly in the context of the Afghanistan upheaval, dominated discussions on Thursday at the five-nation BRICS virtual summit chaired by India, with all heads of state collectively agreeing to combat the export of terror and cooperate to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

    “We call for refraining from violence and settling the situation by peaceful means. We stress the need to contribute to fostering an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so as to ensure stability, civil peace, law and order in the country. We underscore the priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organisations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary and to carry out attacks against other countries, as well as drug trade within Afghanistan. We emphasise the need to address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights, including those of women, children and minorities,” a joint declaration adopted at the end of the summit, called the New Delhi Declaration, stated.

    Secretary (CPV) in the ministry of external affairs, Sanjay Bhattacharya, said there was strong consensus on condemning terrorism, including cross-border terror, terror financing and the springing up of radical organisations.

    Bhattacharya said many agreements, including the one calling for reforms of multilateral organisations, remote sensing satellite constellation, agriculture reforms and cooperation and some others related to the New Development Bank (NDB) were finalised or endorsed during the summit attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

    In his opening address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said BRICS has adopted a counter-terrorism action plan that was drawn up by national security advisors of the member states. Putin said the situation in Afghanistan must not become a threat to its neighbours. “Russia, just like its BRICS partners, consistently supports the establishment of the long-awaited peace and stability in Afghanistan.” 

    Reject double standards“We reject double standards in countering terrorism and extremism conducive to terrorism. We call for expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework,” the BRICS joint declaration said