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BRICS is a ‘Symbol of Change’: India's EAM Jaishankar

12:29, 2 June 2023
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Dhairya Maheshwari
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Indian Foreign Minister attended the BRICS meeting in Cape Town on 1-2 June, which is being held under the South African presidency. He met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and South African FM Naledi Pandor on the margins of the meeting.
Sputnik
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has described the five-nation BRICS grouping as a “symbol of change” amid a “challenging” international situation.

“The global environment today, demands that we, the BRICS nations, approach key contemporary issues seriously, constructively and collectively. Our gathering must send out a strong message that the world is multipolar, that it is rebalancing, and that old ways cannot address new situations,” the Indian top diplomat said during his opening remarks at the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Cape Town on Thursday.

Jaishankar said that the “devastating after effects” of the Covid pandemic, “stresses” arising due to the Ukraine issue as well as the “economic distress” of the Global South reflect “deep shortcomings” in the current international architecture.

“For two decades, we have heard calls for reform of multilateral institutions, only to be continuously disappointed. It is, therefore, imperative that BRICS Members demonstrate sincerity in regard to reforming global decision-making, including that of the UN Security Council,” the foreign minister stated.

Jaishankar said that “economic concentration” of resources, services or connectivity lied at the “heart of the problems” faced by the world, in which many nations were at the “mercy of too few”.
“Recent experiences impacting health, energy and food security only highlight this fragility,” he stated, a reference to global volatility in food, energy and commodity prices caused by the western sanctions against Moscow.
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Jaishankar said that India organized the ‘Voice of the Global South Summit’ to highlight these concerns being faced by low and middle-income nations.

“We urge that BRICS give it particular consideration and promote the economic decentralization that is so essential to political democratization,” the Foreign Minister stated.

In his address, the Indian Foreign Minister also described terrorism as one of the “key threats” to global peace and security.
“All nations must take resolute measures against this menace, including its financing and propaganda. It must be combated in all its forms and manifestations and never be condoned under any circumstances,” Jaishankar stated.

Level of Interest in BRICS a ‘Matter of Satisfaction’, Jaishankar Says

The Indian foreign minister said that the “level of interest” in BRICS from other developing nations was a “matter of satisfaction” and a “testimony of our growing influence”.
“For that very reason, decisions we take have far reaching consequences. They will also enhance our mutually beneficial cooperation in the times to come,” he stated.
At least 19 low and middle-income nations from the Global South have expressed an interest in joining the BRICS grouping. Discussions on expanding the grouping was a major area of focus at the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting.
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