NEW DELHI, May 15. /TASS/. The BRICS countries called for the prevention of an arms race in outer space in a statement issued by India, the current chair of the group, following the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in the Indian capital.
"The Ministers recognized the need to ensure the use of space systems, as well as the achievements of space science and technologies, for peaceful purposes. They also reasserted the support for ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS) and of its weaponization, as well as the threats or use of force against outer space objects, including through negotiations to adopt a relevant legal multilateral instrument to ensure global security," the Chair’s Statement says.
According to the Statement, they "recognized the submission of the updated Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) to the Conference on Disarmament in 2014 as an important step towards this goal. recognized that an important step towards achieving this goal is the submission in 2014 to the Conference on Disarmament of an updated draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects. They stressed that practical and non-binding commitments such as Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs), and universally agreed norms, rules, and principles may also contribute to PAROS."