India on Friday issued a chairman’s statement at the end of the annual BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi instead of issuing a joint statement citing differences among member states over the situation in the Middle East.
The Chairperson’s statement said the ministers strongly condemn all forms of terrorism and describe such acts as criminal and unjustifiable regardless of the motives, timing, location or perpetrators. She specifically condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people were killed and several others injured.
“There were divergent views among some members on the situation in the West Asia/Middle East region. BRICS members expressed their national positions and shared a range of perspectives,” the statement said.
Israel-Gaza war: BRICS ministers call for ‘unconditional ceasefire’
The ministers called for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and urged all parties to maintain the ceasefire while ensuring the full and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, the statement said.
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“They called on the parties to engage in good faith in further negotiations with the aim of achieving an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and all other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the release of all hostages and detainees held in violation of international law, and the continued and unrestricted access and provision of humanitarian aid to UWA to fully emphasize the need for its humanitarian mandate. awarded by the UN General Assembly, for providing essential services to Palestinian refugees in five areas of its operations,” the statement said.
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It further stated: “They called on all relevant parties to abide by their obligations under international law and to act with maximum restraint and to refrain from escalating actions and provocative statements. In this regard, they took note of the interim measures of the International Court of Justice in the legal proceedings initiated by the Republic of South Africa against Israel, which, among other things, reaffirmed Israel’s legal obligation to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
BRICS ministers reject ‘double standards in fight against terrorism’
The statement said ministers reaffirmed their commitment to tackling terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border infiltration, terrorist financing and the provision of safe havens. He also emphasized that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.
“They reiterated that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group and that all those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with relevant national and international law. They insisted on ensuring zero tolerance for terrorism and rejected double standards in the fight against terrorism,” the chairman’s statement said.
Additionally, the BRICS chairman’s statement also expressed serious concern over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, which he said were not in line with World Trade Organization rules. She also emphasized the importance of protecting navigation rights and freedoms in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
BRICS currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
