BRICS foreign ministers condemn Pahalgam attack, voice concerns over rise of tariff measures ‘which distort trade’
For Delhi, the condemnation is a win considering China, Pakistan’s benefactor and ally, is part of the grouping.
BRICS foreign ministers have issued a joint statement condemning the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and criticizing unilateral trade tariffs. (Source: X/@DrSJaishankar) BRICS foreign ministers on Friday issued a strong condemnation of last year’s terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and underlined the commitment to combat the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism-financing and safe havens. For Delhi, it is a win considering China, Pakistan’s benefactor and ally, is part of the grouping.
India, which issued a chair’s statement after the two-day BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, also obliquely criticised US President Donald Trump’s arbitrary tariff wars.
On terrorism, the BRICS “expressed strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed.”
According to the statement, they condemned “in the strongest terms” the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured. “They reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism-financing and safe havens,” the statement added.
“They reiterated that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group and that all those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with relevant national and international law. They urged to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and rejected double standards in countering terrorism,” it said.
On the tariffs, the statement said that the ministers noted that the “multilateral trading system has long been at a crossroads. The proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives, threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities and affecting prospects for global economic development. They voiced serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules.”
The ministers stressed their “commitment to uphold multilateralism as necessary to address challenges threatening their shared planet and future, such as climate change”, according to the statement.
The statement said, “They (BRICS nations) resolved to remain united in the pursuit of the purpose and goals of the Paris Agreement and the objectives of the UNFCCC and called on all countries to uphold their existing commitment as Parties to the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement and to maintain and scale up their effort to combat climate change”.
The Trump administration has withdrawn from the Paris agreement.
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