BRICS Foreign Ministers supported all efforts conducive to peaceful settlement of situation in Ukraine

New York: The BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa supported all efforts conducive to the "peaceful settlement" of the situation in Ukraine as they expressed concerns regarding increased and ongoing conflicts in the world and stressed their commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences, disputes through dialogue.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa Naledi Pandor met here Thursday for the annual BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations meeting on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session.

A press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said that the ministers "committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States, stressed their commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and supported all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine."

A press statement issued after the meeting, chaired by South Africa in its capacity as the incoming BRICS Chair for 2023, said that the Ministers “expressed concerns regarding the increased and ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world. They reiterated the need for full respect of international humanitarian law and the provision of humanitarian aid in accordance with the basic principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence established.

They “recalled their national positions concerning the situation in Ukraine as expressed at the appropriate fora, namely the UNSC and UNGA,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar told a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine that the trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for the entire international community.

“The future outlook appears even more disturbing. The nuclear issue is particular anxiety.” Underlining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this cannot be an era of war, Jaishankar told the UN Security Council that the need of the hour is to end the conflict in Ukraine and return to dialogue and diplomacy.

The BRICS Ministers committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States stressed their commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation and supported all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises.

They reaffirmed their commitment to collective efforts for the peaceful settlement of disputes through political and diplomatic means and recognised the role of the UNSC as bearing the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. They stressed further the imperative of refraining from any coercive measures not based on international law and the UN Charter.

The Ministers exchanged views on major global and regional issues on the United Nations agenda in the political, security, economic, financial and sustainable development spheres, as well as on intra-BRICS activities.

They discussed the possibilities for mutual support of their initiatives at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. They expressed support for continued cooperation of BRICS members in areas of mutual interest, including through regular exchanges amongst their Permanent Missions to the UN.

The Ministers reiterated their commitment to multilateralism through upholding international law, including the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter as its indispensable cornerstone, and to the “central role of the UN in an international system in which sovereign states cooperate to maintain peace and security”, advance sustainable development, ensure the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, the statement said.

The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and reforming the multilateral system, especially of the UN and its principal organs, in order to make the institutions and instruments of global governance more inclusive, representative, participatory, reinvigorated and democratic and to facilitate greater and more meaningful participation of developing and least developed countries, especially in Africa, in global decision-making processes and structures and make it better attuned to contemporary realities.

The Ministers also emphasised the importance to ensure inclusive and effective work of the global governance system and the role in this regard of the G20 as a premier multilateral forum in the field of economic cooperation that comprises major developed and developing countries on an equal and mutually beneficial footing.

In this context, they expressed their firm view that the G20 should continue to function in a productive manner, focusing on the delivery of concrete outcomes, and taking decisions by consensus.

They commended the incumbent Indonesian Presidency for its effective steering of this platform and committed themselves to a constructive contribution towards the success of the upcoming G20 Bali Summit on November 15-16, 2022.

They called for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its three dimensions - economic, social and environmental - in a balanced and integrated manner by mobilising the means required to implement the 2030 Agenda.