BRICS meet discusses cross-border terrorism, India says groups enjoy 'state support'

At a meeting of BRICS officials responsible for national security on Tuesday, India discussed the problem of cross-border terrorism and activities of organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), saying that these groups "enjoy state support" and threaten peace and security.

India's take at BRICS meet

On Tuesday, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval hosted the 11th meeting of the BRICS High Representatives Responsible for National Security through video conferencing. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, the representatives adopted and recommended the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan for consideration by the BRICS Summit.

The action plan aims to strengthen existing mechanisms of cooperation in areas such as financing and combating terrorism, terrorists' misuse of the internet, terrorists' travel restrictions, border controls, soft target protection, information sharing, capacity building, and regional and international cooperation.  In a veiled jab at Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, India stated that the operations of groups such as the LeT and the JeM endanger peace.

"India raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and activities of groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed which enjoy state support and threaten peace and security," the EAM statement said.

India takes dig at Pakistan over cross-border terrorism

According to the statement, the meeting addressed the regional and global political and security scenarios, with a focus on current developments in Afghanistan, Iran, West Asia, and the Gulf, as well as emerging challenges to national security, such as cyber security.

Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, attended the meeting, as did Ncediso Goodenough Kodwa, Deputy Minister of State Security of the Republic of South Africa, and Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira, Minister of State (Brazil) and Head of the Presidency's Institutional Security Cabinet.

Other topics on the agenda included law enforcement cooperation, health safety and healthcare, and counter-terrorism. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the BRICS grouping, and India is the chair of the grouping. The meeting of high representatives took place ahead of the BRICS presidents' conference, which India will host this year.

(With inputs from ANI, Image: AP/ANI/PTI)