Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Institutional Security under the President of Brazil M. Innosencio, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation N.P. Patrushev, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of India, Ajit Doval, Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Yang, Minister of state security of the Republic of South Africa A. Dlodlo took part in the video conference for the 10th annual meeting of the high representatives of the BRICS countries responsible for security issues. The parties exchanged views on key issues of global and regional security, discussed the main areas of practical cooperation in the field of security. The incessant attempts of the West to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states were noted. The inadmissibility of organising ‘colour revolutions’, as well as campaigns to discredit the political leadership of unwanted countries, was emphasised. The sides expressed concern about the escalation of tensions around Iran, Venezuela and Syria.
An exchange of views took place on issues of strategic stability. During the discussion, the destructive plans of the United States on the deployment of weapons in space, the use of force against space objects of other states, as well as the use of outer space for military operations were noted. The participants in the meeting reaffirmed their openness to multilateral discussion on possible measures to ensure predictability and restraint in the nuclear missile sphere.
It was noted that cooperation within the framework of the ‘five’ is aimed at building a multipolar system of international relations based on the principles of justice and equality, abandoning the outdated practice of bloc diplomacy.
The dialogue that took place showed the unity or similarity of the approaches of the members of the Association on most issues on the international agenda. The adherence to the universal and generally recognised norms and principles of the UN Charter, as well as international law was reaffirmed. It was emphasised that the BRICS countries managed to take a serious step forward in strengthening cooperation in the field of combating terrorism and extremism, countering transnational organized crime and drug trafficking
Thanks to well-coordinated joint work, a draft anti-terrorist strategy of the ‘five’ has been prepared, which will be submitted for approval during the upcoming summit. The draft strategy reflects such fundamental aspects for the BRICS countries as respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, adherence to international law and recognition of the UN’s central and coordinating role in security matters. Prospects for cooperation between the BRICS states in the field of biological security are considered.
The meeting participants highly appreciated the coordinating role of the World Health Organization in the fight against the pandemic. It was emphasised that at all stages of the spread of infection, WHO acted within its mandate, based on the guidelines of Member States and available scientific evidence. It was announced that it was expedient to work on building up the profile cooperation of the BRICS countries in the field of sanitary and epidemiological control and global health. It was proposed to create new mechanisms of interaction in the field of countering epidemiological threats and to conduct expert consultations on biosafety in the BRICS format. Special attention is paid to ensuring security in the use of information and communication technologies. During the discussion, the importance of developing common approaches to this issue was stated.
In order to create an integrated system for countering threats in the information sphere, it was proposed to continue work on concluding an appropriate five-sided agreement.
The parties appreciated the Russian chairmanship of the Five this year, held under the motto “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Common Security and Innovative Growth”, noted the active work in three key areas: Politics and security, economy and finance, and humanitarian and cultural ties. The intention was confirmed to work on deepening coordination within the framework of key international organisations and forums, primarily in the UN. An agreement was reached on further expanding the dialogue on security issues, building up the exchange of information, and closer coordination of joint actions, including through the special services and law enforcement agencies.