BRICS NSAs discuss strengthening cooperation on counter-terrorism, cyber security

On Tuesday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval chaired the crucial virtual BRICS NSA meeting in the run-up to the BRICS Summit next month. India is the chair for this year’s BRICS summit, which will be the fifteenth such summit of the group of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). The NSA meeting discussed important issues of contemporary and future significance, including regional and global security, cyber security, health safety, counterterrorism and drug trafficking. The meeting is attended by Russian NSA General Patrushev, Chinese Politburo Member Yang Jiechi, and Brazilian counterparts General Augusto Helena Ribeiro Pereira and South African Deputy Minister of State Security Ncediso Goodenough Kodwa.

"This is the third time India is hosting the BRICS Summit after 2012 and 2016. The theme for this edition is 'BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus'," BRICS India 2021 stated in a press release.

The Ministry of External Affairs on BRICS NSAs virtual meet said that meetings of the High Representatives Responsible for National Security have emerged as an important platform for exchanging views on political and security issues among BRICS countries. India raised the issues of cross-border terrorism and activities of groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba & Jaish-e-Mohammed, which enjoy State support and threaten peace and security, MEA said. High Representatives adopted and recommended BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan for consideration by BRICS Summit. Action Plan aims to strengthen existing mechanisms of cooperation in areas such as financing and combating terrorism, among others. In the area of Cyber Security, it was agreed to strengthen joint efforts to enhance cooperation by sharing information and exchange of best practices, combat cyber-crimes and capacity building. India had earlier hosted a BRICS Workshop on Digital Forensics in August 2021, the MEA said. 

Pictures of the meeting:

Earlier, the Seventh Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Security in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) was held virtually under the Chairship of India. Space agencies heads of the BRICS member nations had signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing. The agreement entails building a virtual constellation of specified remote sensing satellites of BRICS space agencies and their respective ground stations that will receive the data.
This approach will contribute to strengthening multilateral cooperation among BRICS space agencies in meeting the challenges faced by humankind, such as global climate change, major disasters and environmental protection, the group had said in a statement.

In a three-day meeting of the BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues in July this year, the BRICS group agreed on various proposals circulated by India for strengthening and increasing the intra-BRICS cooperation and trade.

Also, BRICS inaugural session was held earlier this month in which External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had flagged the alarming situation in Afghanistan and its fallout on neighbouring countries with regards to terrorism. "Transition in Afghanistan that we are seeing today & warfare that's being forced upon its people, have sharpened challenge of terrorism. Left unattended, its edge will be deeply felt not just in Afghanistan neighbourhoods but beyond. Legitimacy in the present day cannot be derived from mass brutality or covert agendas. Representation peace and stability are inextricably linked," Jaishankar had said.

(With ANI inputs)
Image Credit: ANI