BRICS condemns US tariffs, Iran strikes in Rio declaration

India Today

19 hours ago

BRICS nations on Sunday issued a joint statement denouncing recent military strikes against Iran and criticising the rising use of unilateral tariffs by the United States. The grouping unveiled the "Rio de Janeiro Declaration," outlining its collective stance on a range of global issues including terrorism, global trade, and institutional reforms.The leaders of the expanded BRICS bloc, now comprising 11 countries including newly inducted members like Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, and Indonesia, condemned what they termed as "indiscriminate rising of tariffs," warning that such measures threaten to destabilise global trade and economic cooperation.advertisement"The proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and nontariff measures...threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities," the declaration stated.
The grouping voiced "serious concerns" over unilateral tariff actions, calling them inconsistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms. 'In this context, we reiterate our support for the rules-based, open, transparent, fair, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory, consensus-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core, with special and differential treatment for its developing members,' the BRICS declaration added.Taking a firm stand on military escalations, BRICS condemned the strikes on Iran carried out since June 13, asserting that they violate international law. "We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since June 13, which constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the UN," the declaration said. It also raised "serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)."On terrorism, the grouping strongly denounced the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. 'We condemn 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. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens,' the leaders stated.The declaration stressed a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. 'We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism,' it read.The declaration called for the adoption of the long-pending Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and labelled all acts of terrorism as 'criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation.'The leaders also expressed concern over illicit financial flows, money laundering, terrorism financing, and the use of new technologies and cryptocurrencies for extremist activities.- EndsWith inputs from PTI
IN THIS STORY#BRICS