BRICS Diplomats Call for Immediate Cessation of Hostilities in Gulf

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Diplomats from BRICS nations called for an immediate cessation and non-resumption of hostilities in the Gulf, the Russian foreign ministry said after consultations on problems of the Middle East and North Africa. "The participants stressed the need for an immediate cessation and non-resumption of all hostilities and called for continuing political and diplomatic efforts to overcome the crisis in the Gulf zone," it said. According to the ministry, the diplomats agreed that the Middle East, North Africa's problems should be resolved in conformity with the norms of international law and provisions of the UN Charter, on the basis of the principles of non-interference into domestic affairs of states and respect to their sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also reiterated their countries' commitment to closer foreign policy coordination to find and promote consensus-based solutions to crisis situation facing the Middle East and North Africa. The meeting was held in New Delhi on April 24. It was attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko, who also held bilateral meetings with the leaders of the BRICS countries' delegations. Other items on the agenda included the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the situation in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Libya.