Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a powerful appeal for united global action against terrorism during his address at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In his speech at the session on peace and security, PM Modi described terrorism as the gravest threat facing humanity today. Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025, he called it not just an act of violence but an attack on the very spirit of humanity. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for decisive and unified global action against terrorism, stating that funding, supporting, or providing safe havens to terrorists must be addressed with the harshest measures. He stressed that there should be no double standards in dealing with terrorism.
PM Modi thanked the BRICS leaders for their strong condemnation of the Pahalgam attack and called on BRICS nations to adopt a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, expressing gratitude for Malaysia’s unequivocal condemnation of the Pahalgam attack. The two leaders also discussed regional security, multilateral cooperation, and Malaysia’s successful leadership of ASEAN. They welcomed the completion of the review of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
PM Modi also met Cuban Prime Minister Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. The leaders discussed India’s digital public infrastructure, including the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), with Cuba expressing interest in adopting it to enable easier and more affordable money transfers. PM Modi also urged Cuba to officially recognize Indian medicines, making affordable treatment accessible to its citizens. The discussion also included potential collaboration in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and traditional medicine.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the ‘Rio de Janeiro Declaration’ by all BRICS member countries, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi also joined other BRICS leaders for the traditional family photograph, symbolizing unity and cooperation among the member nations.
