NSA Ajit Doval calls for cooperation against terrorism 'without any reservations' at BRICS

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval attended a BRICS meeting with his Chinese counterpart NSA Yang Jiechi on Wednesday wherein he emphasised on the need to bolster cooperation against terrorism "without any reservations".  He welcomed the cooperation among the five-nation grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to address the issue of terrorism, as per news agency ANI sources. During the virtual meeting which was hosted by China on the second anniversary of the Galwan Valley clash, both Doval and Jiechi  affirmed "strengthening political and security cooperation" with other members of the union as officials from Brazil, Russia and South Africa were also present in the meeting.

It is to mention that during the Galwan Valley clash, the Chinese and Indian troops engaged in aggressive melee, face-offs, and skirmishes at locations along the Sino-Indian border. Russian news agency TASS claimed that “at least 20 Indian soldiers and 45 Chinese servicemen” were killed during the clashes in eastern Ladakh.  

Further, both Indian and Chinese NSAs underscored the importance of reforming the multilateral system in order to address global issues with credibility, equity and accountability. Meanwhile, Doval also talked about the COVID-19 pandemic and the drastic shift in climate change and called on the world to work collectively to address the global challenges. The Indian NSA urged the BRICS members to strengthen their cooperation in the areas of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and outer space and maritime security in order to prevent any terror attacks.

PM Modi, Xi Jinping and Putin due to meet on BRICS platform next week

The meeting of NSAs came a week ahead of the BRICS summit which is due to be held on June 24 with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of Brazil and South Africa. Though the Indian PM and Putin had held several telephonic conversations after the onset of the war, this would be the first time when the trio -- India, China, and Russian leaders-- would meet on a common platform along with other BRICS leaders.

Last week, the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the BRICS nations published a joint statement during a virtual conference wherein the members agreed to increase financial collaboration and boost macroeconomic policy coordination. The summit urged the global community to expand partnerships, highlighting that macro-policy coordination is essential in guiding the world economy out of crisis and constructing a robust, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive post-pandemic economic recovery.   

Image: PTI