The five-nation BRICS summit chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight caught up settling the case in Afghanistan through peaceful means. The declaration at the summit said the leaders also sought an “inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so on ensure stability, civil peace, law and order”. While the theme for the summit is “cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus”, the main target remained on Afghanistan.
The “New Delhi Declaration” adopted at the tip of the summit also emphasised the requirement to “address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights, including those of girls, children and minorities”.
The five-nation grouping (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) also underscored their “priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organisations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary and to hold out attacks against other countries”.
The declaration said they were “committed to combating terrorism… including cross-border movement of terrorists, and terrorism financing networks and safe havens”.
Very strong comments on the topic during the summit came from Russian President Putin, who spoke of the possible threats an unstable Afghanistan might pose to neighbouring countries.
Afghanistan shouldn’t become a “threat to its neighbouring countries, a source of narcotraffic and terrorism”. Its citizens, he said, “deserve to exercise their rights of defining of what their state will appear as if on their own”.
He also made it clear whom his country held answerable for this example.
“US and its allies’ withdrawal from Afghanistan has created a brand new crisis,” he said. “Global security has faced serious challenges and system of strategic stability has gone downhill. Outstanding regional conflicts haven’t stopped”.
This situation, he said, “stems from irresponsible attempts to impose alien values… to make a so-called democracy without taking under consideration historic features and traditions that others have followed. It leads to destabilisation and chaos and at the moment, the authors of this left and whole international community will need to clear up this mess”.
