00:00Now, one of the biggest challenges for a bloc that consists of nations with diverse interests is to arrive at
00:09the same page and univocally, at this given point, equivocally at this given point, adopt a joint declaration.
00:17That is what has in fact been one of the biggest achievements of New Delhi and of Prime Minister Modi
00:24at this given point when we speak of hosting the very BRICS summit, the 18th summit, that is.
00:31Now, while the New Delhi Joint Declaration was adopted, let me quickly take you through some of the very crucial
00:36aspects that we could assess that's been mentioned in this declaration.
00:41Number one, the push for conflict prevention and addressing its root causes.
00:45The geopolitical landscape right now and across the world is marred with several conflicts as we speak.
00:53There is a war that's currently active in West Asia.
00:55There's a war that's been active for the last four years between Russia and Ukraine.
01:00And we see each time these wars erupt, there's a major, major price that the rest of the world has
01:07to pay in some way or the other.
01:09And this is why it's pushed for conflict prevention being one of the biggest priorities for the global nations at
01:17this given point of time, for the global order at this given point of time.
01:20Take away number two, the backing of the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
01:25There is that push for the United Nations to also come in and being, in fact, seeing more and more
01:34reforms being brought in to the United Nations as well,
01:37so that there is more and more of these peaceful resolutions and negotiations that are worked out in the international
01:43forum.
01:44Now, takeaway number three, dialogue, consultation and diplomacy the way forward.
01:49Of course, that is something that India has led, being extremely vocal across global platforms and stages,
01:56that this is not the era of war, but dialogue and diplomacy needs to take over the stage in the
02:01global theatre at this given point of time.
02:03Take away number four, call for a multilateral approach to global issues.
02:08We are talking about issues that do not just, in fact, restrain themselves to the parties that seem to be
02:15at conflict with each other,
02:17but issues that, in fact, those issues end up having a wider impact on the rest of the world.
02:23So, which is why there needs to be a multilateral approach to these global issues,
02:27not just the parties that are involved in the very problem.
02:32Take away number five, a serious concern over a unilateral tariff barrier.
02:36That is, of course, this is what's been looked at as a veiled message to the United States,
02:41a pointed veiled message towards the United States.
02:43It's why we are saying so, because if we take a look at the world trade affairs for the last
02:50two years,
02:51or especially since Trump has taken over the presidency of America,
02:55we've seen tariffs having jolted the global economic order.
02:59And that has been one of the biggest disruptions at this given point, speaking,
03:03where tariffs have really come out to play quite a hurdle,
03:06complicating and making it further complex, the relationship, the trading relations that exist between several of these countries,
03:13including India.
03:14Take away number six, tariff non-tariff measures must be following the World Trade Organization's rules.
03:20Take away number seven, the concern over a growing risk of nuclear conflict.
03:24The West Asia war, if you remember, had begun with this very point.
03:28The fact that U.S. and Israel both had come out to, in fact, have voiced their issues with Iran
03:36and its nuclear enrichment.
03:38So, this nuclear conflict and, of course, the NATO's role as well, that comes to play a very important role.
03:44So, the concerns are growing around that and that needs to be addressed at a global level.
03:49Take away number eight is, of course, the push for easier cross-border BRICS payment.
03:53BRICS payment, the BRICS currency is something that was under massive discussion
03:58because there are concerns that have been raised over the same.
04:01And this, remember, this block in itself accounts for almost 40% of the GDP, PPP metric.
04:08So, that is why the BRICS currency does play a very crucial role, again, when we speak of the global
04:13economy.
04:14Take away number nine is condemning the unilateral coercive measures.
04:17Take away number 10, lastly, called for respect for international law.
04:24We carried out, carried that consensus outward to the wider BRICS family and partners from global south.
04:31As I mentioned earlier, apart from member countries and 10 partner countries,
04:36we had invited outreach countries, namely the president of the African Union, president of Burundi,
04:43the president of the Philippines, who is currently the chair of ASEAN, the current chair of CELAC, the Uruguay,
04:53and the chair of Gulf Cooperation Council, the Bahrain.
04:59International organizations and big institutions, which included the Secretary General of the United Nations,
05:04the Director General of WHO, WTO, International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure,
05:13the president of the New Development Bank, and AIIB.
05:17And as I mentioned, the chairs of BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women's Business Alliance also addressed this session.
05:24In his statement, Honorable Prime Minister welcomed leaders to what he called extended BRICS family,
05:30observing that the hall was bringing together different continents, cultures, and development journeys.
05:36He set out how India had organized the shareship around the four pillars of resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability,
05:43and how a shared vision had been turned into a win-win cooperation.
05:47And he went on to highlight some key achievements around these pillars, in these four pillars.
05:54And I'm sure all of you have been given a copy of a fact sheet in which we have listed
05:59out, if not all,
06:01some key outcomes around these four pillars.
06:04Honorable Prime Minister's central message on inclusive growth was that solutions developed in BRICS
06:10should not remain confined to BRICS.
06:12They must be made adaptable and accessible to the needs of the global south.
06:16He underlined that as BRICS enters his third decade, the world expects from it not just ideas and commitments,
06:23but concrete results.
06:26I would like to also underline that in this open session today, India's priorities found strong support across the summit
06:34from all the leaders, members, partners, and outreach countries.
06:36Leaders complemented the manner in which India as chair of BRICS conducted meetings throughout the year,
06:45noting the convening of over 350 meetings and engagements across some 30 cities in India at various levels.
06:53The New Delhi Declaration, of course, records this aspect very, very clearly.
06:57There was broad convergence on India's central proposition that BRICS must be practical, actionable, and people-centric
07:05rather than declaratory, that it must speak for the global south in the reform of global governance,
07:11that terrorism must be condemned without qualification, and that BRICS cooperation must deliver visible outcomes
07:17in sectors such as health, food security, energy, digital public infrastructure, and disaster resilience.
07:24Partner countries and outreach countries in particular welcome the fact that India used this chairship
07:30to widen participation rather than narrow it, and several leaders spoke of the BRICS at 20 milestone
07:37as a moment to consolidate what the grouping has built over two decades.
07:42If there's one point I would leave you with, it is that India's chairship has focused on deliverables.
07:50The summit has endorsed a substantial package of outcomes across our four pillars, priority pillars.
07:56As I mentioned, I had illustrated a few outcomes yesterday, and subsequently we have, of course, released a fact sheet.
08:03There are concrete over 50 outcomes across various thematic tracks,
08:07which is a significant achievement of India's chairship this year.
08:12Thank you very much.
08:14Thank you very much.
Comments