Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called for joint action from the BRICS group to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorists.
Addressing the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Foreign Ministers’ meeting here, she said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a BRICS Counter-terrorism Strategy “for joint action with a focus on money laundering, terrorist-finance, cyber-space and de-radicalization as our priorities.”
“Our leaders have also called for making U.N. Counter Terrorism framework efficient and effective.
With BRICS cooperation in strategic security, counter-terrorism, U.N. reforms, de-radicalization, cyber-security, energy security, and international and regional hot-spots being discussed in detail during the grouping’s National Security Advisors meetings, she said: “Our meeting today takes place at a time when multilateralism, international trade, and rules based world order face strong head-winds.
“Though, the global growth has exhibited signs of recovery, the challenges to long-term growth continue to persist. Ensuring that the benefits of globalization are shared widely remains a challenge.”
She also said BRICS countries have contributed to global stability and growth in a world drifting towards uncertainty.
“We have played an important role in shaping the global economic and political architecture,” she said.
Later addressing the media here along with her counterparts from other BRICS nations, Swaraj said that India attaches great importance to its engagement with BRICS.
“BRICS brings together almost 42 percent of global population, with impressive growth, investment and trade share,” she said, adding that during the June 4 meeting, the leaders exchanged views on current issues of global significance in political, security and economic spheres.
“We also used to occasion to discuss ways and means to further strengthen intra-BRICS cooperation,” she said.
“There exists considerable potential for BRICS to take our cooperation to an even higher level. We appreciate initiatives being undertaken during South Africa’s Chairmanship. We are supportive to the theme and priorities listed by South Africa for 2018.”
Swaraj said that the priorities introduced by host South Africa, including health and vaccines, youth, peacekeeping, industrial revolution, tourism, women’s issues, and science, technology and innovation, resonated with the BRICS grouping.
According to an External Affairs Ministry statement, soon after her arrival here June 3, Swaraj called on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and conveyed her felicitations on his assumption of office.
“The enhanced engagement between the two countries, especially in the aftermath of the India-South Africa Business Summit, and greater cooperation in areas such as skill development, agriculture, IT etc., were also discussed,” the statement said.
During her visit here, Swaraj will also chair the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
On June 6, she will visit the Phoenix Settlement, a South African Heritage site, marking the place that served as Gandhi’s home and where he developed his philosophy of non-violence.
She will also participate in a series of events June 6 and 7 at Pietermaritzburg to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the historic train compartment incident that catalyzed Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement.
The two-day commemoration activities will also include the release of joint commemorative stamps celebrating South African anti-apartheid revolutionary leader Oliver Tambo and one of the founders of India’s Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Deen Dayal Upadhaya, and a youth summit where 20 diaspora youth from Africa and five from India will speak on the relevance of Gandhi’s message of peace to the youth of today.
Source: India West
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