Kuala Lumpur, July 7 (IANS) The BRICS grouping, which has emerged as a strong and principled force, represents an opportunity to shape a more balanced and just international order, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said.
Legacy international organisations need to be reformed to reflect the changing global realities and to take into account the aspirations of developing nations, Anwar said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.
“I also call for a major overhaul of global institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, to better reflect current realities and the needs of developing countries, rather than remaining trapped in outdated post-World War II structures,” the Malaysian Prime Minister said.
Anwar, who was attending the 17th BRICS Summit hosted by Brazil, added that the grouping must strengthen its economic cooperation both among member states and with other regional groupings such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“BRICS and ASEAN members must also continue to strengthen strategic cooperation, including enhancing cross-regional trade and investment for the mutual benefit of developing nations,” he said.
The BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation that comprises 10 nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The first summit that was held in 2009 had featured the founding countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Eventually, the acronym BRIC was adopted.
Meanwhile, in what is being viewed as a major diplomatic success for India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the BRICS countries on Sunday strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack while reaffirming their commitment to combatting cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and terrorist safe havens and also taking concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities.
As many as 26 innocent tourists were massacred in the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, a heinous act condemned throughout the world.
The ‘Rio de Janeiro Declaration’ adopted after the first day’s proceedings at the 17th BRICS Summit being held in the Brazilian city, expressed “strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable,” regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which at least 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,” read Paragraph 34 of the Rio Declaration.
–IANS
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