BRICS Leaders Voice Concern Over Rising Risk of Nuclear Conflict

Leaders of the BRICS group of nations have expressed concern about the growing risks of nuclear conflict, according to a declaration cited by Russian state news agency TASS.

The declaration, as reported by TASS, stated that BRICS leaders stressed the significant contribution of nuclear-weapon-free zones to strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

TASS did not specify the exact wording of the full declaration or the summit at which it was issued, but framed the statement as part of a broader set of positions adopted by BRICS members on international security matters.

The BRICS bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa among its members, has in recent years expanded to include additional countries and has increasingly used joint declarations to address global security and non-proliferation issues.

Nuclear-weapon-free zones are regions where countries have agreed by treaty not to develop, manufacture, test, or acquire nuclear weapons. Such zones exist in parts of Latin America, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Africa and Central Asia, and are generally viewed by arms control advocates as tools for reinforcing the international non-proliferation framework established under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

TASS did not provide additional details on specific measures proposed by BRICS leaders to address the cited risks of nuclear conflict, nor did it specify which regions or conflicts prompted the concern.