Delegates at the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi unanimously adopted a consensus joint declaration on Saturday, September 12, addressing Middle East tensions and global trade practices. The agreement emerged despite diplomatic divides between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, avoiding explicit country names while urging restraint and diplomatic conflict resolution.
New Delhi Summit Yields Unanimous Declaration
Diplomats representing the BRICS group of nations successfully adopted a joint declaration on the first day of their annual leaders’ summit in New Delhi. The consensus came together as representatives of the member nations engaged on bridging the divide between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, who are on opposite sides of the Gulf conflict, to produce a consensus declaration.
The BRICS bloc includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Representatives of the member nations had been engaged in bridging the divide between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which was expected to make clinching a joint statement consensus a particularly challenging task for host New Delhi. Four sources told Reuters on Saturday that the BRICS group of countries had agreed on a joint declaration, which was unlikely to name any country but would condemn unilateral war by any country. The leaders of the countries were expected to approve the declaration on Saturday, according to the sources. The reporting was handled by Sarita Chaganti Singh, Shivangi Acharya, and Saurabh Sharma, with writing by Sakshi Dayal and editing by YP Rajesh. Additional reporting on the adoption was provided by Hritam Mukherjee and Shilpa Jamkhandikar.
Addressing the Middle East Conflict and Urging Restraint
A central focus of the New Delhi Declaration centers on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The declaration, adopted on the first day of the BRICS leaders’ annual summit in New Delhi, comes at a time when the U.S. and Iran have resumed tit-for-tat strikes against each other, after a pause in fighting for much of August. The bloc unanimously adopted the joint declaration expressing “deep concernover the war in the Middle East and urged maximum restraint, advocating for a
multilateral approach” that respects national viewpoints.
“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East…call for exercising maximum restraint…avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation,”
The BRICS bloc includes both Iran and Washington-ally United Arab Emirates, which was expected to make clinching a joint statement consensus a particularly challenging task for host New Delhi.
Trade Concerns and Unilateral Measures
Beyond regional security concerns, the newly adopted declaration takes direct aim at global economic friction. In addition, the nations voiced concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures that distort trade.
This economic critique arrives against the backdrop of U.S. sanctions against Tehran amid its war with the country, and against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.
Multilateral Diplomacy as the Preferred Framework
Rather than singling out individual states for censure in the text, the group agreed on a joint declaration which four sources told Reuters on Saturday was unlikely to name any country but would condemn unilateral war by any country.
The final document reiterates the commitment of member nations to a peaceful resolution of international disputes through dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy. By emphasizing a multilateral approach that respects national viewpoints, the bloc concluded its first day of the annual summit in New Delhi with a unified stance.
