English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

BRICS declaration condemns terrorism, names Pak outfits LeT and Jaish

Published

on

(From left to right:) Brazil’s President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Jacob Zuma and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepare to pose for a group photo during the BRICS Summit at Xiamen

The Xiamen declaration by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa calls for “expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the United Nations General Assembly.”

In a significant boost for India’s fight against terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil, a declaration issued by heads of state of Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa at the ongoing BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China for the first time named terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad while condemning terrorism and finding ways to eliminate it.

The Xiamen declaration, adopted by the five BRICS nations, called for “call for expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)” and a need for the “international community to establish a genuinely broad international counter-terrorism coalition”.

The declaration can be viewed as a major victory for India’s diplomatic corps which has been working at various international platforms, like the UN, G-20 and BRICS, to build an global front against the sponsoring of terrorist activity by the Pakistani establishment despite concerted attempts by the People’s Republic of China in blocking such moves.

The declaration issued, on Monday, not only re-establishes the support that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government enjoys from regimes across the globe in its quest for fighting ‘Islamic’ terror but also the fact that China was being isolated in the international arena over its attempts to shield Pakistan from any kind of censure over terrorism.

Masood Azhar

Masood Azhar

The declaration – which all five BRICS nations, including China are signatories to – also weakens Beijing’s case on its efforts to stall the United Nation’s Security Council proposal on declaring Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’. In early August, China had extended, by three months, its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal of having Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UNSC even though his outfit, JeM, had already been declared as a terrorist organisation by the body.

Although the Xiamen declaration does not expressly mention the threat of terrorism to India, it talks at length about terrorist strikes in neighbouring Afghanistan, which has been a victim of attacks perpetrated by some of the same Pakistan-based terror outfits which have repeatedly carried out strikes on Indian soil.

“We strongly condemn terrorist attacks resulting in death to innocent Afghan nationals. There is a need for immediate cessation of violence… We support the efforts of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in fighting terrorist organizations…We, in this regard, express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, Al-Qaida and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir,” the BRICS declaration states.

The declaration adds: “We deplore all terrorist attacks worldwide, including attacks in BRICS countries, and condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. We reaffirm that those responsible for committing, organizing, or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable.”

At a time when various Indian investigative agencies are carrying out joint probes against individuals and organisations in the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir for purportedly receiving money from their Pakistani handlers for ‘terror funding’, the BRICS nations have also called for “blocking sources of financing terrorism”.

“We call upon all nations to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering radicalization, recruitment, movement of terrorists including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, blocking sources of financing terrorism including, through organized crime by means of money-laundering, supply of weapons, drug trafficking and other criminal activities, dismantling terrorist bases, and countering misuse of the Internet including social media by terrorist entities,” the declaration said.

At a restricted session held during the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a joint counter-terror strategy and suggested a new mechanism to counter-radicalisation in the region. India has also offered to hold an international conference in this regard.

In what can also be viewed as an endorsement of India’s stand on its inclusion in the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and making this club more accessible for other robust economies around the world, the BRICS nations also backed “open, flexible and transparent markets for energy commodities and technologies”.

The declaration said: “We underline the importance of predictability in accessing technology and finance for expansion of civil nuclear energy capacity which would contribute to sustainable development in BRICS countries.”

However, it remains to be seen whether the declaration that endorses India’s demand for accessing technology and finance for expanding its civil nuclear energy will eventually mark a real shift in Beijing’s stand India’s bid to enter the NSG – an effort that the Dragon has blocked consistently in the past.

Latest world news

Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Published

on

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

on

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

on

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com