The BRICS summit in New Delhi has concluded with the bloc's 11 member states unanimously adopting a joint declaration calling for calm in the Middle East, greater Global South influence in global governance, and stronger cooperation on trade and energy.
The two-day meeting was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among those attending were Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The declaration voiced "deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions" across the Middle East, calling for "maximum restraint" and warning against deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities.
On Palestine, the bloc reiterated its position of "firm opposition" to the forced displacement of Palestinians and to any changes to the geography or demography of occupied territory. The declaration also called for an end to Israeli violence in Gaza, support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and full United Nations membership for Palestine.
The document also addressed global economic concerns, including the expansion of non-Western cross-border payment channels, cooperation on artificial intelligence, and opposition to unilateral sanctions and tariffs.
Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday morning, marking his first visit to India in seven years, as the two countries seek to improve relations. He addressed the situation in the Middle East, saying the conflict there "has caused serious losses to people across the region" and "does not serve the common interests of the international community," according to China's state news agency Xinhua.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held bilateral talks with Putin, with both leaders agreeing to deepen ties. Modi also met with Pezeshkian, raising issues of freedom of navigation and the safety of ship crews in the Strait of Hormuz.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, speaking at a closed session, called for maintaining "the stability and freedom of international navigation." He said: "The current developments in the Middle East and their negative repercussions on the global economy, trade and energy flows, and supply chains affirm the close link between security and development."
Other leaders present included South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed, and Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto. The United Arab Emirates was represented by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Brazil sent Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in place of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The heads of the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also attended.
The summit took place against a backdrop of significant internal divisions. Iran and the UAE, both BRICS members, are on opposing sides of the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. A meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in May ended without a joint statement on that conflict.
The bloc's finance ministers and central bank governors have previously objected to tariffs and non-tariff measures they describe as distorting trade and inconsistent with WTO rules. The United States has levied tariffs on several BRICS members, often conditioning their removal on policy changes by the targeted country.
US President Donald Trump has described BRICS as "anti-American" and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on countries that align with the bloc.
BRICS was founded in 2006 as BRIC by Brazil, Russia, India, and China as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers. South Africa later joined, and the group has since expanded further to its current 11-member composition.
