Pretoria, June 4 (UNI) India on Monday called for consolidation of intra-BRICS cooperation to ensure global growth in a world drifting towards uncertainty, with international trade and multilateralism facing strong headwinds.
"Our meeting today takes place at a time when multilateralism, international trade, and rules-based world order face strong headwinds. 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," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, addressing the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers' meeting.
In less than two months from now the leaders of BRICS nations will meet in Johannesburg for the 10th BRICS Summit. The deliberations, therefore, are significant in preparing the groundwork for a successful Johannesburg BRICS Summit and "will contribute towards enriching intra-BRICS cooperation further," she said.
The New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangements are flagship BRICS initiatives, Swaraj said, adding their functioning be consolidated further and their outcomes optimised.
With BRICS representing some 40 per cent of the world’s population and almost 30 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product, there is enormous potential for the bloc to be an economic force.
"India attaches importance to the role of BRICS in consolidating intra-BRICS cooperation and in international affairs," Swaraj said.
She also called for collective action by BRICS nations against money laundering, terrorist-financing and radicalisation.
"PM Modi had given a call 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 UN Counter Terrorism framework efficient and effective. We reiterate our commitment to implement our Leaders’ mandate on counter terrorism under South Africa’s BRICS Chairship."
She said coperation in strategic areas of security, counter-terrorism, UN reforms, peacekeeping, de-radicalisation, cyber security, energy security, global governance, and international and regional hot-spot issues are deliberated in detail during our NSA’s meetings.
"It is imperative now that the common ground reached in our NSAs meeting on setting up a BRICS Security Forum is implemented fully."
The minister also voiced support for South Africa for tabling the proposals on tourism, medicines, governance, and science-park network.
"Yoga and Ayurveda system of India’s traditional medicines will make BRICS tourism endeavours even more attractive."
Earlier, Swaraj had an "excellent" bilateral with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and discussed "ways to make further progress in areas of bilateral and multilateral cooperation."
India and South Africa are commemorating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, 100th birth anniversary of the iconic leader Nelson Mandela and the 125th anniversary of the Pietermaritzburg incident of Mahatma Gandhi.
In 1893, Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment in Pietermaritzburg railway station. The incident proved to be a turning point in his fight against racial discrimination in South Africa.
Swaraj will attend a series of events marking the 125th anniversary of the historic incident.
"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," said a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Swaraj also met foreign ministers of China Wang Yi, Sergei Lavrov of Russia and South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu.
"All-dimensional and multi-layered cooperation that upholds development and multilateralism!," tweeted Raveesh Kumar, ahead of the opening session the ministerial this morning.
Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a five-day visit during which she will also attend a meeting of the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) grouping.
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