New Delhi: India raised the issue of cross-border militancy and activities of militant groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT) andJaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), “which enjoy state support and threaten peace and security”, at the 11th Meeting of the BRICS High Representatives Responsible for National Security, hosted by National Security Advisor AjitDoval through videoconferencing on Tuesday.
The meeting of the High Representatives Responsible for National Security comes ahead of the summit meeting of leaders of the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — that New Delhi will host later this year under the Chairship of Prime Minister NarendraModi.
India holds the Chairship of BRICS this year, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of the BRICS grouping. The meetings of the High Representatives Responsible for National Security have emerged as an important platform for exchange of views on political and security issues among BRICS countries, a statement said.
The meeting reviewed the regional and global political and security scenario with particular reference to the current developments in Afghanistan, Iran, West Asia and the Gulf and emerging threats to national security, such as Cyber Security.
Other items on the agenda were cooperation among Law Enforcement Agencies, Health Safety and Healthcare and Counter Terrorism.
“India raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and activities of groups such as the Lashkar-eToiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed which enjoy State support and threaten peace and security,” it said.
As a follow up to the adoption of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Strategy at the 12th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in 2020, done at the suggestion of Prime Minister Modi, the High Representatives adopted and recommended the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan for consideration by the BRICS Summit.
The Action Plan aims to further strengthen existing mechanisms of cooperation in areas such asfinancing and combating terrorism, misuse of the internet by terrorists, curbing the travel of militants, border controls, protection of soft targets, information sharing, capacity building, and regional and international cooperation.
It said considerable attention was paid to the heightened risk of growth of illegal drug production and trafficking in the region and it was agreed that agencies concerned in BRICS countries will enhance their cooperation in this area.
Health Safety and healthcare were also identified as a priority area of cooperation within BRICS in the light of new challenges emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the area of Cyber Security, it was agreed to strengthen joint efforts to enhance cooperation by sharing of information and exchange of best practices, combat cyber-crimes and capacity building. India had earlier hosted a BRICS Workshop on Digital Forensics in August 2021, the statement said.
The virtual meeting was attended by Brazil’s Gen Augusto HelenoRibeiroPereira, Minister of State and Head of the Institutional Security Cabinet of the Presidency, Russia’s Gen Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council, China’s Yang Jiechi, Member, Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and South Africa’s NcedisoGoodenoughKodwa, Deputy Minister ofState Security.(UNI)
