“It is natural we should hold a BRICS forum to discuss security issues that impact global peace and stability,” he says.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval has called upon the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping, to exercise international leadership in countering terrorism, in tune with the growing role of the emerging economies in setting the global agenda.



During his opening remarks on Friday at the seventh BRICS meeting of NSAs, Mr. Doval, without specifically referring to any country, urged the BRICS countries "to show leadership in countering terrorism." He also advocated that the five emerging economies work towards setting the agenda "on strategic issues of regional and global importance."

The much watched out meeting

Later, accompanied by the security chiefs of other BRICS members, Mr. Doval called upon Chinese President Xi Jinping.



Though the meeting was meant to iron out the security agenda of the BRICS summit, slated for September, Mr. Doval’s call on Mr. Xi, acquired a sharp bilateral context, in view of the on-going military

face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam plateau area.



Mr. Xi said that having successfully completed its first 10 years, the BRICS in the coming decade can focus on three areas: security communication and coordination, financial cooperation as well as cultural exchanges. He added that these three aspects should guide the BRICS mechanism in the coming decade, to enable the stable growth of the five emerging economies.



Mr. Doval, in his earlier remarks, proposed that the BRICS pull its collective weight in shaping the international system, by pointing out that the grouping has grown in "global significance over the years."



He added: “It is natural we should hold a BRICS forum to discuss security issues that impact global peace and stability.”

Major security threats

Along with seeking common ground on major security threats with its five emerging economy partners, India also appeared simultaneously engaged in resolving military tensions with China, during Mr. Doval’s visit.



The contradictory relationship, where collaboration co-exists with serious differences, was evident when Mr. Doval met with China’s State Councilor Yang Jichei on Thursday evening. Xinhua news agency reported that in the three separate meetings that he held with the visiting NSAs, Mr. Yang exchanged views on "bilateral relations, international and regional issues and multilateral affairs, and set forth China's position on bilateral issues and major problems."



The meeting between Mr. Doval and Mr. Yang, who are also both serving Special Representatives on the China-India boundary talks, comes amid modest expectations that a framework for a gradual de-escalation of the Doklam crisis may emerge. Highly placed sources, without specifying details, had earlier told The Hindu, that the two senior officials had worked out a "preliminary understanding" on the Doklam crisis on the sidelines of the Hamburg G-20 summit earlier this month.

Withdrawal must for talks: China Daily

Yet, amplifying the Chinese official position that talks on Doklam can start only after the withdrawal of Indian troops in the area, the state-run China Daily asserted on Friday that while it was "engaged in diplomatic efforts to persuade India to withdraw its troops from Chinese territory, China should be prepared for military action should that prove to be its only recourse." It added: "As China has repeatedly emphasised, although the diplomatic channels are unimpeded, the withdrawal of the Indian border troops who have illegally crossed into China's territory is the prerequisite for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides."



A day earlier the Global Times, a state-run tabloid, said that with Bhutan as the epicenter of rivalry, the Doklam face-off "is in nature a great power competition in the disguise of border dispute, a more complicated situation than past border disputes between India and China."