BRICS nations on Sunday unanimously condemned terrorism in all its forms, including the terror attacks on India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a comprehensive response to this global scourge.
"We strongly condemn the recent several attacks, against some BRICS countries, including that in India," the Goa Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the Eighth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit here stated.
We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any acts of terrorism, whether based upon ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic or any other reasons...We agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating international terrorism both at the bilateral level and at international fora.
The statement comes after last month's cross-border terror attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers..
India has blamed the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for the wanton attack.
PM Modi Calls for Response to Terrorism
New Delhi has since launched a diplomatic blitz to isolate Islamabad in the international community while the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
In the plenary meeting of the BRICS leaders before the adoption of the Goa Declaration, Modi called for a comprehensive response to the scourge of terrorism.
Stating that the reach of terrorism has become global, the Prime Minister said that terrorism "has grown more lethal and adept at the use of technology".
"There must be no distinction based on artificial and self-serving grounds," he said.
Addressing the media after the conclusion of the summit, the Prime Minister said that the BRICS leaders "were unanimous in recognising the threat that terrorism, extremism and radicalisation presents, not just to the regional and global peace, stability and economic prosperity, but also to our society, our way of life and humanity as a whole".
"We were also one in agreeing that BRICS need to work together and act decisively to combat this threat," he said.
Without naming Pakistan, Modi said: "We also agreed that those who nurture, shelter, support and sponsor such forces of violence and terror are as much a threat to us as the terrorists themselves."
(With IANS inputs)
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