AMN //
UFA (Russia): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave a call for reform of the UN in a time bound manner.Speaking at the plenary session of the BRICS leaders, He said development and climate change are important issues before the world in which UN has to play a crucial role. He called upon the countries to come together to fight the menace of terrorism in BRICS countries, UN and other committees. Mr. Modi said that the UN should include poverty alleviation as its main agenda for the post 2015 period.
In his speech Prime Minister proposed to set up the BRICS Agriculture Research Centre which would be a gift to the world. Mr. Modi also suggested setting up of a forum to connect local governments of the member countries to learn from experience of each other. He mooted the idea of having a BRICS Sports Council to organise annual meet for any one sport. India offered to host a football match of under 17 players in India next year. For the promotion of Film making in the BRICS countries he said a BRICS film award can be set up.
Prime Minister congratulated the BRICS nations for operationalization of the BRICS bank and other proposals like Contingency Reserve Fund, Export Credit Insurance, financing for innovation and customs cooperation for trade facilitation between BRICS member countries. He said the the BRICS Economic Cooperation Strategy was a milestone in the history of this grouping. Underlining the need of developing energy efficiency enhancing technologies, Prime Minister Modi said that the New Development Bank should take up a big project related to clean energy as its first project in which all the five BRICS countries can cooperate.
The leaders of the BRICS countries concluded the plenary meeting with detail deliberation.
Leaders of BRICS countries have adopted the Ufa declaration, the final document of the summit at Ufa in Russia today. The ceremony of signing this and a range of other documents was held after the working session in an expanded format. The declaration gives assessment on the current global political and economic situation and reflects the common approaches of the BRICS countries on the most topical issues of multilateral cooperation. The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa also adopted an Ufa Action Plan that details the work of the group for the upcoming year and also includes the new promising areas of cooperation.
Another final document approved at Russia’s initiative is the Strategy of Economic Partnership of BRICS countries up to 2020. It is aimed at expanding multilateral business cooperation with the goal of stepping up social and economic development and increasing the competitiveness of BRICS countries in the global economy. Agreements were signed in the presence of the leaders which include Memorandum on mutual understanding between foreign policy agencies of the BRICS countries on creating a joint Internet website – a virtual secretariat of the group. This will institutionalize the orgnisation with formal rules.
Member countries have also signed an agreement between the governments of BRICS countries on cooperation in culture and a memorandum of intent on cooperation with the New Development Bank between the National Bank of Social and Economic Development of Brazil, Russia’s Vnesheconombank (VEB), Export Import Bank of India, China Development Bank and Development Bank of South Africa.
