NSA Doval attends BRICS virtual meet

New Delhi, Aug. 24 (PTI): NSA Ajit Doval on Tuesday joined a virtual meeting of top security officials of the BRICS countries that focused on collectively dealing with regional and global security challenges including the threat of terrorism and drug trafficking.

The meeting was attended by Russian NSA Gen Patrushev, Chinese Politburo member Yang Jeichi, Brazilian security official Gen Augusto Helena Ribeiro Pereira and South African Deputy Minister of State Security Ncediso Goodenough Kodwa, people familiar with the matter said.

The meeting took place over a week after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. It is not immediately known whether the issue came up in the deliberations.

The BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade.

India has been strongly pitching for deeper cooperation among the BRICS member countries in dealing with terrorism, extremism and radicalisation.