Brics ministers discuss terror, Covid
In a huge endorsement of India’s position on various global issues, foreign ministers of the five-nation Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping met in virtual format at a meeting on Tuesday chaired by external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and took a tough stand against all forms of terrorism, including cross-border terror. It also issued a joint statement on reforming the multi-lateral system that covers all key institutions, including the UN and its principal organs like the UN Security Council and its sanctions committees, to “ensure their effectiveness, responsiveness and transparency”.
The Brics meeting also
At the meeting chaired by Mr Jaishankar, Brics members echoed India’s stand on Afghanistan endorsing the need to preserve the gains made over the last 20 years in the nation, including protection of women, children & minorities
supported the initiative of two of its members — India and South Africa — at the WTO for a relaxation in the norms of the agreement on the TradeRelated Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in order to ensure quick and affordable access to Covid vaccines and medicines for developing countries.
Echoing India’s stand on Afghanistan, the Brics endorsed the need to preserve the gains made over the last 20 years in Afghanistan, including protection of women, children and minorities and also “strongly condemned the continuing violence in Afghanistan, especially deliberate targeting of civilians by terrorist groups” while stressing the “urgent necessity of the elimination of the threat of UNSC proscribed terrorist groups to lasting peace in Afghanistan”.
Sources said that due to India’s proactive and sustained efforts, it has “been able to move” the other four Brics countries towards the Indian position on key issues of interest. Sources said, “India was also able to get Brics FMs to agree to strong language on counter-terrorism, including reference to cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing networks and safe havens.”
EAM Jaishankar in his remarks pushed for the importance of a multipolar world that respects the territorial integrity of nations. The other four participants at the meeting were Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, Brazilian FM Carlos Alberto Franco França and South African FM Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor, who all extended their full support to India in hosting the 13th Brics Summit in September this year that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.