MOSCOW: Meeting of the BRICS High Representatives Responsible for National Security

MOSCOW: National
Security Adviser, Shri Ajit Doval, KC hosted the 11th Meeting of the BRICS High
Representatives Responsible for National Security through video conferencing on
Tuesday, 24 August 2021.

The meeting was attended by H.E. General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira,
Minister of State and Head of the Institutional Security Cabinet of the
Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E. General Nikolai
Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, H.E.
Mr. Yang Jiechi, Member, Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and
Director, Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central
Committee, and H.E. Ncediso Goodenough Kodwa, Deputy Minister of State Security
of the Republic of South Africa.

India holds the Chairship of BRICS this year which coincides with the 15th
anniversary of the BRICS grouping. The meeting of the High Representatives took
place before the Summit Meeting of Leaders of the BRICS Nations that India will
host this year, under the Chairship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The meetings of the High Representatives Responsible for National Security have
emerged as an important platform for exchange of views on political and
security issues among BRICS countries. Today’s meeting reviewed the regional
and global political and security scenario with particular reference to current
developments in Afghanistan, Iran, West Asia and the Gulf and emerging threats
to national security, such as Cyber Security. Other items on the agenda were cooperation
among Law Enforcement Agencies, Health Safety and Healthcare and Counter
Terrorism. 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.

As a follow up to the adoption of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Strategy at the
12th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in 2020, done at the suggestion of Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi, the High Representatives adopted and recommended the BRICS
Counter Terrorism Action Plan for consideration by the BRICS Summit. The Action
Plan aims to further strengthen existing mechanisms of cooperation in areas
such as financing and combating terrorism, misuse of the internet by
terrorists, curbing the travel of terrorists, border controls, protection of
soft targets, information sharing, capacity building, and regional and
international cooperation.

Considerable attention was paid to the heightened risk of growth of illegal
drug production and trafficking in the region. It was agreed that concerned
agencies in BRICS countries will enhance their cooperation in this area. Health
Safety and healthcare were also identified as a priority area of cooperation
within BRICS in the light of new challenges emerging from the COVID-19
pandemic.

In the area of Cyber Security, it was agreed to strengthen joint efforts to
enhance cooperation by sharing of information and exchange of best practices,
combat cyber-crimes and capacity building. India had earlier hosted a BRICS
Workshop on Digital Forensics in August 2021.