BRICS Summit: EAM S Jaishankar Calls For Respect For ‘Territorial Integrity’ Amid LAC Standoff

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said the BRICS is based on international law and the UN Charter that recognizes the sovereign equality of all states and respects their territorial integrity while displaying mutual respect for interests and concerns of all.

“It is only by conducting our policies in accordance with these principles that we can expect to bring about the change we desire,” he added in his welcome remarks at the meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations.

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Stating India has assumed the chairship of the BRICS on its 15th anniversary, Jaishankar said: “We have come a long way from the first time our Foreign Ministers met in New York in 2006. But the principles that guide our grouping remain consistent over the years. We strive for a fair, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international system.”

The External Affairs Minister further said the BRICS has over the years evolved its own unique model of engagement that is based on consensus.

“Our collective endeavour is also to ensure that global decision-making reflects contemporary realities. To this end, we have identified four key deliverables for our chairship – reform of the multilateral system, counter terrorism cooperation, using digital and technological solutions to achieve SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and enhancing people to people cooperation,” he added.

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Jaishankar expressed his delight to note that the BRICS member nations have made substantial progress on each of these areas in the past five months with the “continued cooperation and support of our partners”.

Stating the Covid-19 pandemic “unfortunately” prevented him from greeting all in person, the External Affairs Minister said “it also continues to provide the larger context in which we assess the world and our policies”.

“This is a time to reflect on its many implications. I also express my condolences for the lives lost due to this pandemic in all your countries,” he added.