Narendra Modi, PM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought the backing of BRICS members for the UN Security Council reforms and the waiver of some intellectual property regulations (IPR) for Covid-related development of vaccines, testing and treatment.

Calls for joint fight

The PM said terrorism was the biggest problem today

The countries that supported and helped terrorism should be held guilty

The entire world should come together to fight the menace of terror, he said

At Bloomberg forum, invites investors

The PM pitched India as the most attractive investment destination at Bloomberg New Economy Forum

He wooed investors in the fields of urbanisation, mobility, innovation and sustainable solutions Inside

Speaking at the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) summit, he described the finalisation of the BRICS counter-terrorism strategy as an “important achievement” and assured India would take the work forward during its BRICS chairmanship in 2021.

“Terrorism is the biggest problem today. The countries that support and help terrorism need to be held guilty and we need to fight this problem in a united manner,” he said.

The BRICS counter-terrorism strategy proposes to work out common measures and coordinate more closely at the UN and other forums on such issues. The PM also referred to the India-South Africa proposal for IPR waiver in case of Covid-19 vaccines, treatment and testing. On October 2, the two countries had jointly communicated to the WTO TRIPS Council a proposal for a moratorium on certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement claiming these were hindering the timely provisioning of affordable medical products for Covid patients. The EU, the US and Brazil had opposed the proposal, while China supported it.

Advocating reforms in the UNSC, WTO and the WHO, the PM said India was fully committed to multilateralism. India had lost the highest number of peacekeepers on UN duty, he reminded BRICS members.