international security

India Committed to Nuclear Doctrine of No-First Use: Foreign Secretary Shringla

Shringla also said India is also committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.

New Delhi: India, as a responsible nuclear weapon state, is committed to maintaining credible minimum deterrence with the posture of no-first use and non-use against non-nuclear weapon states, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday.

Addressing the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament, Shringla said India is also committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.

“We need to rise above our differences, and demonstrate political will and genuine intent to find consensus to deliver on our collective mandate. Those resorting to politicisation only weaken the mandate of this body,” he said.

As the world’s single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, as mandated by the Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD)-1, the Conference on Disarmament’s agenda deals with critical challenges of disarmament and international security facing the international community, he noted.

Shringla asserted that India advocates a comprehensive and balanced programme of work to enable the conference to commence negotiations on issues of pressing global importance.

“India is committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament. Our call for complete elimination of nuclear weapons through a step-by-step process, as also outlined in our Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the Conference on Disarmament in 2007 has an enduring relevance,” he said.

India reiterates its call to undertake the steps outlined in the working paper, including negotiation in the Conference on Disarmament of a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention, the foreign secretary said.

He said India has supported the immediate commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament (CD) on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT).

“I reaffirm today, India’s readiness to participate in FMCT negotiations in the CD,” Shringla said.

Also read: India and China Hold 10th Round of Military Talks, Focus on Further Disengagement

India, as a responsible nuclear weapon state, is committed as per its nuclear doctrine, to maintain credible minimum deterrence with the posture of no-first use and non-use against non-nuclear weapon states, he said.

Shringla said Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS), is another long standing item on the Conference on Disarmament’s agenda and India looks forward to an early start of negotiations of a legally binding instrument on PAROS to address pressing issues relating to space security.

The High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament is being held under the presidency of Brazil.

In his address, Shringla pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has been perhaps the most disruptive global event in our collective memory and while the pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities, it has also underlined the need for global solidarity and strengthened multilateralism.

“Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, by delivering on his promise at the UNGA to make Indian manufactured vaccines affordable and accessible to all of humanity, has once again shown that India is a force for global good,” he said.

“We have the same approach to global issues, including those pertaining to international security and peace. In this regard, India is also making an important contribution as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2021-22,” Shringla said.

India has welcomed the extension of the New START Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States, he said but added that much work needs to be done by “us in the Conference on Disarmament”.

In line with the SSOD-1’s emphasis on promoting expertise in disarmament and in empowering younger generations, India has hosted a fully funded Annual Disarmament and International Security Fellowship Programme for the last two years to advance disarmament education, he pointed out.

Shringla invited fellow member states to participate in this programme.

He also said this conference has been plagued for too long by fear, suspicion and mistrust.

“As Mahatma Gandhi said, the only cure for fear is faith; for suspicion, sincerity; and for mistrust, trust,” the foreign secretary said.

This is just what the conference needs today, to break its long deadlock and make concrete progress, he asserted.

India stands ready to play its role and work with fellow member states to achieve our collective objectives, Shringla added.

For the First Time, BRICS Releases Policy Document on Counter-Terrorism

The document was released after the leaders of Russia, India, Brazil, China and South Africa held their 12th annual summit through a video conference on Tuesday.

New Delhi: For the first time, the bloc of five emerging economies have approved a counter-terrorism strategy aimed at strengthening linkages on combatting terrorism and sharing of “timely” information

The document was released after the leaders of Russia, India, Brazil, China and South Africa held their 12th annual summit through a video conference on Tuesday.

“The BRICS countries reaffirm that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any act of terrorism, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever motives and purposes, is a crime and has no justification,” said the policy document.

Further, the paper asserts that all the five countries recognise that the international community should take the “necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists”.

Also read: Challenges to International Security Should Be Resolved Through Diplomacy: BRICS

Besides, the document observes that “terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group.”

A goal of this new policy was to improve “practical cooperation” among the security agencies by communicating “timely and accurate information.”

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described terrorism as the “biggest problem facing the world today”. He noted that countries that “support” terrorism should be held responsible – pointing the finger at Pakistan that is accused of allowing terror groups to target India from its territory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the BRICS summit via video conferencing from New Delhi, Tuesday, November 17, 2020. Photo: PTI

“We are happy that the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy has been finalised during the presidency of Russia. This is an important achievement. And India will further enhance this work during its chairmanship,” said Modi. India will take over the chairmanship of BRICS from Russia and host the summit for the third time in 2021.

Among the “principles” listed out in the strategy document, the first was that it was based on “full respect for the sovereignty of the participating countries and non-interference in their internal affairs.”

Another principle was the “rejection of double standards” in countering terrorism.

Interestingly, the last principle was that the five countries should “address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and attach full importance to countering the extremism conducive to terrorism”.

With the summit held against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the joint statement recognised the role of “extensive immunization” and called for availability of “quality, efficacious, effective, accessible and affordable” vaccines.

“We will work to ensure that, when available, it is disseminated in a fair, equitable and affordable basis. In this regard we support the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) initiative,” it said.

Challenges to International Security Should Be Resolved Through Diplomacy: BRICS

The virtual meet of the foreign ministers of BRICS countries occurred in the shadow of the ongoing border tensions between India and China which began in May.

New Delhi: The foreign ministers of BRICS countries emphasised on Friday that any challenges to international peace and security and violent conflict in various parts of the world should be resolved through political and diplomatic engagement.

The meeting of the five emerging powers, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), was held through video conference. With Russia as the BRICS chair, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov led the participants, which included Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi.

The ministers raised concerns at the rise of violence and continuing conflicts in different parts of the world that have significant impact at both the regional and international levels. “They concurred that, irrespective of their historic background and distinctive nature, conflicts should be resolved by peaceful means and diplomatic engagement through political dialogue and negotiations in line with principles and norms of international law, particularly the UN Charter,” said a joint statement issued at the end of the virtual meeting.

Also read: BRICS and COVID: Rising Powers in a Time of Pandemic

The ministers also pointed to the UN Security Council’s resolution 2532 (2020) calling for a universal ceasefire of hostilities in all situations, with the exception of military operations against terrorist groups, and called for a “durable humanitarian pause against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The BRICS meeting took place in the shadow of the ongoing border tensions between India and China which began in May.

Russia is already hosting the first physical political-level meeting between India and China since the stand-off began, with defence minister Rajnath Singh meeting his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) forum on Friday night. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Russia to attend a meeting of a council of ministers of the SCO on September 10, where he will be face-to-face with Wang Yi for the first time.

Also read: Next Quad Meeting in India? Jaishankar Says Location and Time Still Not Decided

Meanwhile, the joint media statement also indicated that the meeting of the BRICS counter-terrorism working group that met earlier this week had also finalised the group’s counter-terrorism strategy.

A separate press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Jaishankar had expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of the BRICS counter-terrorism strategy, and also highlighted the “scourge of terrorism”.

At the press conference, Lavrov said a BRICS leaders’ summit will be held in November if the pandemic situation eases by that time.