BRICS Gather in India Amid Global Tensions Driven by US-Iran Conflict
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has expressed his hope that the meeting will result in positive and meaningful discussions.
New Delhi (ANTARA) - Leaders of BRICS member nations met on Saturday (12/9) in India’s capital, New Delhi, as the US-Iran war enters its seventh month and the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year.
The Summit is taking place amidst broader global economic impacts resulting from the US-Iran conflict, which has triggered an energy crisis and heightened concerns regarding energy security, trade, and inflation.
A day before the Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated his hope that the meeting would yield positive and meaningful discussions.
China has stated that it looks forward to cooperating with other BRates BRICS nations to encourage dialogue and negotiation to resolve differences, while collectively maintaining regional and global peace and stability.
The 18th BRICS Summit brings together leaders and senior officials from the group, which now consists of 11 member nations. The original members were Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—the origin of the BRICS name—alongside new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
On the first day, leaders attended a closed session specifically for BRICS member states titled “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism.”
They also visited the Bharat Innovates exhibition, participated in a tree-planting ceremony, and attended a dinner hosted by Modi.
Leaders in attendance included Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Also present were Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Brazil was represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, while Saudi Arabia was represented by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
BRICS has also admitted partner countries into its cooperation framework, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
On the second day of the Summit, leaders will attend an open session titled “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth.”
BRICS leaders are expected to issue a joint statement.
BRICS now represents approximately 49.5 per cent of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 26 per cent of global trade, according to data cited by BRICS.
The last BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2025.