Talks likely on setting up BRICS assembly at summit in Russia

NEW DELHI: The seventh edition of the BRICS Summit on July 9 in Russia could see leaders of the five emerging economies, including PM Narendra Modi, deliberate on the possibility of creating an inter-parliamentary assembly on the lines of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) with an eye on harmonising legislations of member states and discussing global challenges such as nuclear proliferation and reform of international bodies.

The idea to create an inter-parliamentary assembly was first discussed when the first BRICS parliamentary forum met in Moscow on June 8. Participant members of Parliament including Shashi Tharoor, chairman of standing committee on foreign affairs, decided to explore the possibility of creating such an assembly, officials said.

The final decision on the creation of the body might be made as early as next year at the parliamentary forum scheduled to be held in India, according to Russian government officials. The key objective of the assembly will be to harmonise legislations of the member nations.