Lucknow, Sep 13 (PTI) BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday termed the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration by the BRICS group with consensus “nothing short of a diplomatic achievement and good mutual understanding”.
In a major diplomatic victory for India, the BRICS grouping adopted a consensus joint declaration on Saturday after overcoming sharp differences between the United Arab Emirates and Iran regarding the West Asia conflict, but skipped any direct mention of the US strikes on Iran or Iranian military’s attacks on several Gulf Arab nations.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on Sunday, Mayawati said, “The adoption of the New Delhi Declaration by the BRICS group with consensus is nothing short of a diplomatic achievement and good mutual understanding. The desire to further strengthen mutual relations among these countries also inspires hope. In this context, the development of a BRICS currency would be a significant step.” She also highlighted that Iran is facing severe economic crises and challenges such as intense, escalating tensions, conflicts, and the imposition of tariffs stemming from US actions.
Apart from this, there is united support for the two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders regarding the Palestine issue, she said.
The New Delhi Declaration also did not criticise Russia’s war on Ukraine but was severely critical of Israel for continuing violence in Gaza and called for fulfilling the aspirations of Palestinian people.
BRICS, without naming the US, also voiced serious concerns over the proliferation of “trade-restrictive actions” such as “indiscriminate” tariffs and non-tariff measures as well as protectionism, saying they threatened to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities.
The grouping came out against “unilateral sanctions” and “coercive measures” that are contrary to international law, in what is seen as a veiled criticism of Western economic sanctions on Russia.
The BRICS leaders appeared to endorse New Delhi’s position to end the West Asia conflict through “dialogue and diplomacy” and stressed the need to work together to maintain smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy in accordance with “applicable” international law.
“At the same time, India’s point of view has received appropriate support through references to Pahalgam and the commitment to tackle terrorism in every possible way, which is praiseworthy,” Mayawati said.
BRICS also fully backed India’s call for zero tolerance towards any form of terrorism and shunning double standards in countering the menace as the top leaders of the influential grouping agreed to have a concerted approach in dealing with the challenge.
The grouping also condemned in the “strongest terms” the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir last year that killed 26 people.
Referring to India-China relationship, the BSP chief said, “Furthermore, it remains to be seen how soon positive results will emerge from the approach of preventing differences with neighbouring China from escalating into full-blown disputes and viewing each other as partners. It would be highly appropriate if the border issue between the two nations could also be resolved amicably at the earliest.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping that peace and tranquillity along the frontier remains “essential” basis for development of India-China relations, even as the two leaders welcomed “steady progress” in the bilateral ties.
In their talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, the two leaders reaffirmed that both the countries should take a strategic and long-term perspective of their ties and differences should not become disputes, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). PTI NAV MNK MNK
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