Parliaments of 10 BRICS nations condemn Pahalgam terror attack

Strongly condemning the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, parliaments of 10 BRICS nations have agreed to cooperate on a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.

The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasilia, Brazil on 4-5 June, with participation from the parliaments of all 10 member countries, including India. The Indian delegation was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with a high-level parliamentary team.

The 10 BRICS countries represented in this year's forum were: India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. Delegations from the parliaments of these countries actively participated in the conference and played a key role in shaping the joint declaration.

After multiple rounds of intensive discussions and deliberations, a broad consensus was reached on key global issues such as the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), global trade and economy, inter-parliamentary cooperation, global peace and security.

India's stance on various issues was widely appreciated and was unanimously incorporated into the final joint declaration. In particular, India's firm policy on countering terrorism was strongly acknowledged. India unequivocally condemned all terrorist attacks and emphatically advocated for the adoption of a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism.

The joint declaration strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, and member parliaments agreed to act collectively against terrorism.

Birla stressed the need for joint efforts to curb financial support to terrorist organizations, enhance intelligence sharing, prevent the misuse of emerging technologies, and promote cooperation in investigation and judicial processes.

India's approach and leadership were specially recognised, and BRICS parliaments affirmed that active participation by all member nations is essential in ensuring global peace and security.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, in his address, effectively presented India's strong and clear position on various key subjects - reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clearly stated and firm policy of strong and befitting response and zero tolerance against terrorism - especially with regard to global cooperation against terrorism, a just and balanced international order, participation in technological innovation, and democratic exchange.

At the conclusion of the conference, India was entrusted with hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum next year, and the Lok Sabha Speaker was formally handed over the chairmanship.

India will now play an active role in strengthening cooperation among BRICS parliaments and advancing a shared approach to addressing global challenges.