
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh said on Thursday that India’s stance on key issues, including the recent tragic attack in Pahalgam and its ongoing advocacy for global unity in combating terrorism, was widely acknowledged during the recently concluded 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum.
Speaking to reporters, the Deputy Chairman noted, “These positions were unanimously reflected in the Forum’s final joint declaration. In particular, India’s firm and principled stance on countering terrorism received strong endorsement.”
He further emphasised that the Indian delegation, led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and robustly called for the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Harivansh highlighted that the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, held in Brasília with participation from the Parliaments of all 10 member countries, including India, marked a significant success for the country. He noted that this year’s event saw delegations from India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. Representatives from these Parliaments actively contributed to the discussions and played a key role in shaping the joint declaration.
He pointed out that the joint declaration strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, with the member Parliaments pledging to take collective action against terrorism. Sharing his views, the Indian delegation stressed the urgent need for coordinated efforts to cut off financial support to terrorist organisations, enhance intelligence sharing, prevent the misuse of emerging technologies, and strengthen cooperation in investigations and judicial processes.
Harivansh further stated that India’s approach received special recognition, with BRICS Parliaments affirming that the active participation of all member nations is crucial to ensuring global peace and security. He added that the Indian delegation effectively conveyed India’s clear and firm position on several key issues—particularly the need for global cooperation against terrorism, the pursuit of a just and balanced international order, engagement in technological innovation, and the promotion of democratic exchanges.
“After multiple rounds of intensive discussions and deliberations, a broad consensus was reached on key global issues such as the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), global trade and economy, inter-parliamentary cooperation, and global peace and security,” he said.
He also mentioned that India had been honoured with the responsibility of hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum next year, with Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla formally assuming the chairmanship. He informed that the Lok Sabha Speaker addressed sessions of the Forum on four sub-themes, namely: “Towards Stronger and More Durable BRICS Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation,” “BRICS Parliaments United for the Reform of the Multilateral Peace and Security Architecture,” “Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation for Responsible and Inclusive Artificial Intelligence,” and “BRICS Parliamentary Action in Search of New Paths for Economic Development.”