All-party delegation: India pushes South-South trade, reiterates counter-terrorism cooperation

Johannesburg [South Africa], May 30 : During the Group 7 all-party delegation visit to South Africa under the government's diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, Indian MPs across party lines underlined India's commitment to countering terrorism and deepening cooperation under the BRICS framework.

The delegation, led by NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, held a press conference highlighting the common resolve against terrorism.

Additionally, AAP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney highlighted India's focus on "South-South cooperation" and advocated for BRICS trade in local currencies, along with expanded investment through the New Development Bank to support Africa's agri-value chains and food security.

Speaking at the press conference on Thursday (local time), Sahney said, "India has historic relations with South Africa and at that point of time, African National Congress (ANC) was the largest party but during this visit, our delegation had very fruitful discussions and interacted with all senior leaders of the ANC."

He added, "We fully support the South-South cooperation and, as a member of the BRICS council, it was in Durban that the BRICS forum was launched in 2012. We are also looking at BRICS countries to conduct trade in local currencies. I think it is within our right to promote trade and investment, and promote, through the New Development Bank, of which India was a great supporter, to get the regional office opened in South Africa. We have laid emphasis that the BRICS Development Bank should also focus more on the agri-value chain for food security of Africa."

BJP MP Anurag Thakur emphasised the global support India has received in light of repeated terror attacks.

"We have been going places conveying the message of 1.4 billion Indians as we have been the victim of cross-border terrorism. The message is very loud and clear. Whatever we have been seeing from the reports that anywhere the other delegations have gone, the majority of the nations have come in favour because it is not only a threat to India but to the world," he said.

BJP leader and delegation member V Muraleedharan also reiterated India's consistent and non-partisan foreign policy.

He said, "India, whichever country we engage with, be it South Africa or any other country, we don't engage with a particular party in Government. We engage with the government irrespective of the party and with the people of that country."

"India's relationship with South Africa is centuries old. We have been partners as people-to-people as well as in trade and economy and government-to-government. India continues to have its foreign policy which considers the interests of the international community, the global good and the rule of law. These two aspects have been kept of prime importance. We feel that the BRICS or the interests of the global south will be of paramount importance of India. We will continue to engage with South Africa as well as other partners in the same way that we have been doing."

The members of the delegation comprise of MPs Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce & Industry, V Muraleedharan, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, and Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN.

They visited Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, paid tribute at the Gandhi Statue, and viewed the Mandela-Gandhi Exhibition inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The visit comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched by India in response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people, including a Nepalese national, were killed.

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