Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasized the strong resolve of India and Brazil to fight terrorism and raised eyebrows over the tendency to apply double standards regarding the matter — a stinging comment indirectly directed towards Pakistan and its strong supporter, China.
Whatever is our thought process on terrorism war is the same – zero-tolerance and zero-double standards," PM Modi stated during a joint press conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after high-level discussions between their respective teams.
Without mentioning any country by name, Modi emphasized that India and Brazil stand together in their refusal to recognize or condone terrorism, as well as those who support or aid it. India has already declared Pakistan to be the "global epicentre of terrorism," and the use of "double standards" by Modi was a veiled reference to China, which is famous for protecting Pakistan on the international stage.
Modi also thanked President Lula for Brazil's solidarity in the wake of the April terrorist strike in Pahalgam.
The leaders had detailed discussions on enhancing bilateral relations in various sectors ranging from defence and security to pharmaceuticals, healthcare, renewable energy, and digital public infrastructure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Jaiswal added the two nations also looked into cooperation in future areas like artificial intelligence, supercomputing, critical minerals, digital mobility, and new technologies. They decided to aim at a bilateral trade value of USD 20 billion within the next five years.
After their meeting, the two countries inked a string of agreements to boost cooperation in strategic fields.
PM Modi’s visit to Brazil comes after his participation in the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. Describing his State Visit as a step forward for India-Brazil relations, he expressed optimism about deeper cooperation between the two nations.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi was greeted with a grand ceremonial reception at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia. The reception was accompanied by a unique 114-horse parade and classical Indian bhajan performance, lending a cultural diplomacy flavor to the event.
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