BRICS Countries Launched Joint Committee to Strengthen Space Cooperation
On May 24, 2022, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) established the “BRICS Joint Committee on Space Cooperation “, bringing a new era of cooperation in the fields of remote sensing satellite observation and data sharing. The joint committee has also held its first virtual meeting.
Aim: To improve cooperation and enable member countries’ space agencies to work together more closely in the domains of remote sensing satellite observation and data sharing.
Operational Feature of The BRICS Joint Committee on Space Cooperation
i.In order to provide support to the economic and social development of the member countries, the joint committee will drive cooperation on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation.
- An agreement on the cooperation of BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation was signed by the five space agencies of the BRICS countries in August 2021.
- The constellation is made up of six existing satellites: Gaofen-6 and Ziyuan III 02, both developed by China; CBERS-4, developed jointly by Brazil and China; Kanopus-V type, developed by Russia; and Resourcesat-2 and 2A, both developed by India.
ii.The joint committee will allow BRICS space agencies to work together in areas such as environmental protection, disaster prevention & mitigation, and climate change mitigation through effective data exchange and usage.
iii. The BRICS space agencies also reviewed and adopted documents on the joint committee’s terms of reference, technical requirements for data exchange, and joint observation implementation procedures at the meeting.
EAM S Jaishankar Participated in BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2022
Through a video conference on May 19, 2022, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar participated virtually in the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2022, which was hosted by China. Wang Yi, China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister, presided over the meeting.
The BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2022 also witnessed the virtual attendance of South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor; Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Alberto Franco França; and Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov.
Note:
The 14th BRICS Summit was laid out by the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting 2022.
EAM S. Jaishankar’s Eight Key Points in His Speech
i.The BRICS member nations must create resilient and reliable supply chains in addition to pursuing socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
ii.The knock-on consequences of the Ukraine conflict, which have resulted in sharp increases in energy, food, and commodity prices, must be minimised for the sake of the developing world.
iii. Members of the BRICS must honour their previous commitments to uphold sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and international law.
iv.BRICS member countries should support UN Security Council reform collectively and explicitly.
v.The BRICS countries should work together to get a credible commitment of resources from developed countries for climate action and climate justice.
vi.BRICS member countries must show zero tolerance for terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism.
vii. Trust and transparency will be prioritised in a globalised and digitalized society.
viii. Sustainable development goals (SDGs) must be approached holistically by BRICS member countries.
MoS For Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi Participated In 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting 2022
On May 24, 2022, Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State (MoS) for Culture and External Affairs, participated in the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting 2022, which was hosted by the People’s Republic of China and attended by all BRICS Member Nations, via video conference.
The 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting 2022 was held under the theme “Establishing a Cultural Partnership Featuring Inclusiveness and Mutual Learning within BRICS.”
Key Outcomes:
i.The BRICS Action Plan 2022-2026 was endorsed by the Ministers of Culture of all BRICS countries to further strengthen cultural cooperation and implement the BRICS Cultural Cooperation Agreement inked in 2015.
ii.The Ministers of Culture of all BRICS countries agreed and signed the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Agreement between the Governments of the BRICS States on Cooperation in the Field of Culture (2022-2026).
About BRICS:
- BRICS is an acronym of Brazil, Russia, India, and China
- Headquarter- Shanghai, China
- China will serve as the BRICS chair in 2022. The theme of BRICS 2022 is “Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership to Usher in a New Era for Global Development.”
