There is no place for double standards on terrorism: PM Modi

Brasília | India and Brazil strongly oppose terrorism and those who support it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday while asserting that there is no place for double standards on terrorism, in a veiled reference to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China.

"Our thinking on the fight against terrorism is aligned - zero-tolerance and zero-double standards," Modi said during a joint press statement with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after their delegation-level talks.

India and Brazil strongly oppose terrorism and those who support it, the Prime Minister said, without naming any country. In the past, India has described Pakistan as the "global epicentre of terrorism."

"There is no place for double standards on terrorism," he said, in a veiled reference to China, which is a close ally of Pakistan and blocked bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists in the UN Security Council on multiple occasions.

PM Modi thanked President Lula for its solidarity and support in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April that claimed 26 lives.

The two leaders held extensive discussions on multifaceted ties, including trade and investment, defence & security, health & pharmaceuticals, space, renewable energy, food & energy security, infrastructure development, digital public infrastructure, culture and people-to-people ties, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

They explored avenues for collaboration in the new areas of critical minerals, new and emerging technologies, AI & supercomputers, digital collaboration & mobility, he said, adding that they set a bilateral trade target of USD 20 billion over the next five years.

After the talks, the two sides inked agreements to bolster cooperation in several areas.

Referring to the conflicts in different parts of the world, PM Modi said India and Brazil are unanimous that all disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. "Today, as the world navigates through a phase of tension and uncertainty, the India-Brazil partnership is a vital pillar of stability and balance," he said.

He said that the growing cooperation in the field of defence is a symbol of deep mutual trust between India and Brazil. "We will continue our efforts to connect our defence industries," he added.

The Prime Minister also talked about decades-old bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry, saying the two sides will also work together on agricultural research and food processing.

"In the field of health, we are also expanding our win-win cooperation," he said. "Our collaboration in Artificial Intelligence and supercomputers is growing. This is a testament to our shared vision of inclusive development and human-centric innovation."

He said the bilateral cooperation in the field of energy is continuously growing. "Environment and Clean Energy are the main priorities of both countries. The agreement signed today to enhance cooperation in this field will provide new direction and momentum to our green goals," he added.

He also thanked the government, and the people of Brazil for honouring him with the country's highest national award, saying it was a moment of immense pride and emotion not only for him but also for 140 crore Indians.

Modi, who arrived here for a State Visit after attending the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, said his trip to Brazil will add momentum to the bilateral relations.

Earlier, PM Modi received a grand ceremonial welcome featuring a unique 114-horse parade at the Alvorada Palace in Brasília. He also witnessed an Indian classical bhajan performance during his reception.

BRICS set up to 'hurt us', 'degenerate' US dollar: Trump

New York/Washington | President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that BRICS was established to “hurt" the US and "degenerate" the dollar as he warned that the member countries of the bloc would face a 10 per cent tariff.

Trump made the remarks while talking to reporters at the sixth Cabinet meeting at the White House.

“They have to pay 10 per cent if they are in BRICS,” he said.

Trump said BRICS was set up to “hurt us" and "degenerate our dollar” and take the dollar off as the standard.

“And that's okay if they want to play that game, but I can play that game too. So anybody that's in BRICS is getting a 10% charge,” he said, adding that this will be happening “pretty soon”.

“Well, if they're a member of BRICS, they're gonna have to pay a 10% tariff. Just for that one thing,” Trump said.

Trump claimed that BRICS "largely broke up" but “there are a couple that hang around".

“BRICS is not, in my opinion, a serious threat. But what they're trying to do is destroy the dollar so that another country can take over and be the standard, and we're not going to lose the standard at any time,” he said, adding, "If you have a smart president, you will never lose the standard."

“If we lost the world standard dollar, that would be like losing a war, a major world war; we would not be the same country any longer. We're not going to let that happen...dollar is king, we're going to keep it that way.

“If people want to challenge it, they can, but they're going to have to pay a big price, and I don't think any of them are willing to pay that price,” Trump said.

Leaders of the BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran -- met in Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit on July 6-7.

Trump on Sunday threatened to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the “anti-American” policies of the BRICS grouping.