The foreign ministers of the BRICS group of emerging economies expressed concern about the aggravated situation in Afghanistan, expressing hope that the country would be able to return to a time of peace, according to their joint communique.
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2018) The foreign ministers of the BRICS group of emerging economies expressed concern about the aggravated situation in Afghanistan, expressing hope that the country would be able to return to a time of peace, according to their joint communique.
The foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
"The Ministers reaffirmed their support for the process of an 'Afghan- led, Afghan- owned' national peace and reconciliation process. They expressed their concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan particularly the increase in the number and intensity of terrorist-related attacks on the Afghan National Security Forces, the Government and civilians," the statement published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website reads.
The ministers also called on the international community to support the government and people of Afghanistan in achieving peace.
In addition, they welcomed the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in the country, which has long been suffering from an unstable security situation.
Furthermore, the BRICS ministers said that they opposed the current trend of trade protectionism and unilateral policies.
"They opposed the new wave of protectionism and the systematic impact of unilateral measures that are incompatible with WTO rules, and undermine global trade, and economic growth. In this regard, they reiterated that the WTO Dispute Settlement System is a cornerstone of the MTS [Multilateral Trading System] as it is designed to enhance security and predictability in international trade," the statement reads.
During his presidential campaign, incumbent US President Donald Trump promised to change the country's trade policies by resorting to protectionism. After his inauguration, the leader started to fulfill his promises, which included introducing additional tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, as well as withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
