Counter-terrorism and international peace and security will be major agenda items of the meet

The next BRICS NSA meet will be held on August 24 in a virtual format, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

“India holds the current chair of the BRICS. The next meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors will be held later this month on August 24 and this will be held in a virtual format,” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told the media during a weekly press briefing.

As regarding the agenda of the NSA meet, he said this will be in line with overall priority chosen by India for its chairship of BRICS this year, including counter-terrorism cooperation and international peace and security.

Earlier the 6th meeting of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) was held virtually on July 28-29 under the Chairship of India.

The main outcome of the Working Group meeting was the finalisation of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan containing specific measures to implement the BRICS Counter Terrorism Strategy adopted by BRICS Leaders in 2020.

The Action Plan is aimed at further strengthening result oriented cooperation between BRICS countries in areas such as preventing and combating terrorism, radicalisation, financing of terrorism, misuse of internet by terrorists, curbing travel of terrorists, border control, protection of soft targets, information sharing, capacity building, international and regional cooperation.

The BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan is one of the key deliverables during India’s Chairship of BRICS and will be adopted at the meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors scheduled next month.

During the Working Group meeting, while condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed, the BRICS countries also exchanged views on terrorism threat assessment at national, regional and global level and resolved to further enhance counter terrorism cooperation in line with the Action Plan.

The BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group meeting was preceded by virtual meetings of the five thematic sub-working groups on Misuse of Internet for Terrorist Purpose, Deradicalization, Countering Terrorist Financing, Capacity Building and Countering Foreign Terrorist Fighters on July 26-27, 2021.