In a major breakthrough for India’s chairship of the Brics summit, the bloc has agreed on a joint statement. The Brics New Delhi Declaration will be released at 4pm on Saturday, NDTV reports.
The declaration will “deplore” all forms of aggression without naming any country — a significant move given the ongoing conflict in West Asia. It will stress that “dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward” to resolve disputes.
Securing consensus on the declaration marks a diplomatic win for India and the Brics Sherpas, who worked late into the night in the run‑up to the summit to bridge differences over language on West Asia. Disagreements between Iran and the UAE, both close allies of India, had been the main obstacle.
In May, when Brics foreign ministers met in New Delhi, those differences scuttled a joint declaration. India was unable to close the gap then, leaving the meeting without a statement. This time, however, consensus reflects India’s diplomatic heft and strategic approach in uniting the bloc around common language.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with other leaders, will gather at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi for the high‑stakes summit. Xi arrived in the capital on Saturday — his first visit in seven years — and is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Modi in the evening.
On Friday, Modi met Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. It was Modi’s second meeting with Pezeshkian in under two weeks, with discussions centering on India‑Iran relations and the broader West Asia crisis. India has consistently positioned “dialogue and diplomacy” as the path to a lasting solution, while also underscoring energy security and the need for safe passage of supply vessels.
Following the meeting, Modi described Pezeshkian’s trip as “more special because it is his first visit” to India.
