The five-nation BRICS summit chaired by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi Thursday evening called for settling the situation inAfghanistan through peaceful means. The declaration at the summit said theleaders also sought an "inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so as to ensurestability, civil peace, law and order". While the theme for the summit is"cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus'', the focusremained on Afghanistan.
Brazil President Jair Bolsanaro, SouthAfrican President Cyril Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin, andChinese President Xi Jinping were among those who attended the virtual meeting.
This year’s BRICS summit becomes even moreimportant when three of the BRICS member states viz. India, Russia and Chinaare recalibrating their strategies to deal with the new security situation inAfghanistan as they are worried about Afghanistan again becoming safe haven forterror organizations under hardline Islamic policies of Taliban rule.
Here are the Highlights of BRICS Summit
· PrimeMinister Narendra Modi said, “We have to ensure that BRICS is more productivein next 15 years. Despite Covid situation this year, over 150 BRICS meetingsand events were organised. Of these, over 20 were ministerial-level. We triedto expand BRICS agenda. BRICS achieved many firsts this year as well. Recentlythe first "BRICS Digital Health Conference" was organised. This is aninnovative step to increase health access with the help of technology. OurWater Resources Minister will meet for the first time in BRICS format inNovember.”
· Verystrong comments on the subject during the summit came from Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, who spoke of the possible threats an unstable Afghanistan mightpose to neighbouring countries.
· Afghanistanshould not become a "threat to its neighbouring countries, a source ofdrug trafficking and terrorism". Its citizens, Putin said, "deserveto exercise their rights of defining of what their state will look like ontheir own".
· Jinping,at the summit on Thursday, said: "Since the start of this year, our 5countries have maintained the momentum of Brics cooperation and secured newprogress in many areas. As long as we pool our minds and efforts, we can makesmooth, solid progress in Brics cooperation, come what may.”
· SouthAfrican President Cyril Ramphosa said "We must ensure equal access toCovid-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. This is the only way in whichwe can respond to this pandemic that engulfs the world. Our collective responseto Covid-19 has demonstrated what can be achieved when we work together. AsBRICS countries we must continue to safeguard our people's lives, livelihood, supportglobal economic recovery and enhance the resilience o of public systems."
China will donate 100 million more dosesof Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries within this year on topof a donation of USD 100 million to COVAX, Xinhua said. Brazilian PresidentJair Bolsonaro recalled his visit to India.