New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI): BRICS leaders on Saturday called for protection of cultural heritage, including in regions affected by conflict, and laid emphasis on repatriation of antiquities and objects of spiritual, ancestral, historical and cultural value to their country of origin.
In the New Delhi Declaration adopted on day one of the two-day BRICS Summit being hosted by India, the grouping also welcomed adoption of the Bhopal Declaration at the 11th BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting, reaffirming the important role of culture in fostering people-to-people cooperation and strengthening ties among member countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the end of the opening day's deliberations in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top leaders of the bloc.
In a major diplomatic victory for India, the BRICS grouping adopted the consensus joint declaration on Saturday after overcoming sharp differences between the United Arab Emirates and Tehran regarding the West Asia conflict, but skipped any direct mention of the US strikes on Iran or the Iranian military's attacks on several Gulf Arab nations.
BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.
"We call for the protection of cultural heritage, including in regions affected by conflict, to prevent the destruction and illicit trafficking of cultural property, which is vital for preserving the history and identity of affected communities, as well as on the need to ensure the restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage, antiquities and objects of spiritual, ancestral, historical and cultural value to their country of origin," read the declaration.
The leaders also encouraged cooperation among BRICS countries through exchange of information, documentation and institutional cooperation among museums, archives, libraries and other relevant cultural institutions.
"We encourage the exchange of information and sharing of best practices in the cultural and creative industries, including in the areas of training and capacity-building for artists and cultural practitioners," it added.
The leaders took note of the initiative to create and develop an "Artist Registry on a pilot basis" for voluntarily participating members.
In this regard, they acknowledged initiatives, such as Platform on Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy, identification and documentation of Traditional Knowledge Systems and Traditional Cultural Expressions.
"We encourage exploring opportunities for joint multinational nominations under relevant UNESCO Conventions and Programmes on a voluntary basis. We encourage further cooperation between BRICS countries, including within relevant multilateral fora for the development of cultural industries and resources," the declaration said.
The member countries welcomed the organisation of the BRICS Culture Festival and WAVES Bazaar.
"We appreciate the organisation of the BRICS Theatre Festival and the BRICS Film Festival as important platforms for showcasing the cultural diversity of our nations, promoting the circulation of cultural and creative works, and strengthening people-to-people ties," it said.
The leaders encouraged the expansion of such platforms, thereby creating greater opportunities for cultural exchange and collaboration among BRICS countries.
"We welcome the continued development and strengthening of BRICS Alliances with a view to enriching and broadening cultural exchanges among the peoples of BRICS countries," it added.
The BRICS leaders further said that while recognising tourism as an important driver of economic growth, employment generation, foreign exchange earnings, inclusive and sustainable development, local livelihoods, economic diversification, heritage preservation, national image building, cultural understanding and people-to-people exchanges, they acknowledge that the BRICS countries have "immense potential" in the tourism sector and offer significant opportunities for the growth and development of sustainable and resilient tourism, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, including through the promotion of ecotourism.
"We encourage knowledge exchange on responsible, sustainable and regenerative tourism models. We welcome the initiatives on harnessing Artificial Intelligence and digital tools for smarter, more efficient tourism systems, such as digital payment systems promoting eco-friendly, community-led, sustainable and climate-resilient tourism models; strengthening human capital, training, promotion of investment and institutional capacity across the sector; and facilitating smooth tourism flows," it read.
They welcomed the communique of the Tourism Ministers' Meeting held in Jaipur on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation to promote sustainable, inclusive, smart and resilient tourism development across BRICS nations and to increase international tourism competitiveness.
"We also support the development and promotion of diverse tourism products among member states, including historical, cultural, nature-based, gastronomy and health tourism," the declaration said. PTI KND RUK RUK
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