Dialogue and diplomacy only way forward, not war: PM Modi tells Brics

New centres of power & economic growth to create multipolar global order, Kazan Declaration says

India believes dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward to resolve conflicts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the 16th Brics Summit in Kazan on Wednesday.

 

He also batted for concerted global efforts to deal with terrorism and terror financing.

 

“We need the single-minded, firm support of all. There is no place for double standards on this serious matter. We need to take active steps to stop radicalisation of youth in our countries,” Modi said.

 

At the end of the summit, the leaders of the five-nation grouping comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa adopted the ‘Kazan Declaration’.

 

The declaration released by the Brics nations noted that the emergence of new centres of power, policymaking and economic growth can pave the way for a more equitable, just, democratic, and balanced multipolar world order.

 

The bloc raised deep concerns over the disruptive effect of unlawful unilateral coercive measures, including illegal sanctions, on the world economy, and international trade.

 

Such measures undermine the UN Charter, the multilateral trading system, and the sustainable development and environmental agreements. They also negatively impact economic growth, energy, health and food security, exacerbating poverty and environmental challenges, the declaration said.

 

Stressing the need for resilient global supply chains and stable and predictable energy demand, the declaration also strongly condemned all terrorist attacks against critical cross-border energy infrastructure and called for an open and unbiased approach to investigating such incidents.

 

It upheld the principle of technological neutrality, or the use of all available fuels, energy sources and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Meanwhile, over 30 countries have expressed a desire to join the Brics grouping, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, adding that while the bloc will discuss its expansion, it was important to strike a balance in any expansion.

 

The bloc has already finalised a list of partner countries, India's Brics Sherpa Dammu Ravi said. The group has reiterated the need to take into account national circumstances, including climate and natural conditions, the structure of the national economy, and energy mixes as the specific circumstances of those developing countries whose economies heavily depend on income or consumption of fossil fuels and related energy-intensive products to achieve just energy transitions.