Key Takeaways
- BRICS group of emerging economies has agreed on a joint declaration.
- The summit aims to bridge divisions between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over the Gulf conflict.
- The declaration is expected to condemn unilateral war by any country.
The BRICS group of emerging economies has agreed on a joint declaration, sources told Reuters on Saturday, hours before its leaders began a summit in New Delhi. The summit, aimed at boosting the bloc’s global clout, is being held as the United States and Iran resume tit-for-tat strikes in their six-month-old war.
Negotiators had agreed on a joint declaration unlikely to name any country but which will condemn unilateral war by any country, four sources told Reuters. The document is expected to be approved by the bloc’s leaders later on Saturday.
The foreign ministry of host India did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the declaration. Foreign policy experts said the key test for the bloc would be finding language on the Middle East crisis that both Abu Dhabi and Tehran could accept, clearing the way for a joint declaration.
Such a joint statement was unlikely to influence the current geopolitical landscape, but would demonstrate unity by a grouping of emerging nations against economically debilitating policies such as Western sanctions, experts noted.
BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi in May were unable to issue a joint statement, stymied by differences between Iran and the UAE. The bloc is seeking to raise its profile by influencing international rules and demanding the reform of institutions such as the World Bank, IMF and WTO, which some members view as being dominated by Western powers.
Leaders attending the summit include Russian President Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, among others. New Delhi, which has strong ties with the United States, Russia, Israel, Iran, and the Gulf Arab states, is engaged in a diplomatic balancing act.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing BRICS members to boost trade cooperation, reduce barriers, and expand business opportunities. The need to bridge the Iran-UAE divide over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and produce a consensus summit declaration, however, has been an immediate concern for BRICS diplomats and officials.
The BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was set up in 2009 to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. Together, its members account for more than 40% of the world’s population and almost a quarter of the global economy.
