Brics ministers fail to reach consensus on West Asia conflict statement

Brics foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint communique amid divisions over the West Asia conflict during the New Delhi conclave

The two-day Brics foreign ministers conclave concluded here on Friday without reaching a consensus on a joint communique as the bloc continued to remain divided over the West Asia conflict.

 

India, the host of this year’s Brics summit, released a chair’s statement and an outcome document, which it described as a “good basis” for the summit to take place in New Delhi in September.

 

It was widely anticipated that consensus over a joint communique would elude the meeting. And, the heated exchange between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar on the first day of the meeting held at Bharat Mandapam here reinforced the sentiment.   

 

 

Indian officials said there were differing views among some members on the situation in West Asia. At the meeting, Araghchi urged the group to condemn the US and Israel’s military campaign against it and sought India’s backing to forge a consensus.

 

The UAE accused Tehran of attacking its infrastructure. During his brief stopover in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned attacks on the UAE. In turn, the UAE termed the attack on an Indian vessel on Wednesday as a “terror attack. India has 4.5 million of its citizens living and working in the UAE.

 

Indian officials maintained that the foreign ministers’ meeting concluded with member countries agreeing on common views on “almost” all matters. However, the inability to forge a consensus on a joint communique will cast a shadow on the summit in September.

 

The Brics, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

 

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the US and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious.

 

He also said that all vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including those from India, except those “at war” with Tehran, if they coordinate with the Iranian naval forces, but the situation around the waterway was “very complicated.”

 

Araghchi also met India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the margins of the Brics foreign ministers' meeting in India.

 

In a post on X, Araghchi said he told his Indian counterpart that “Iran will always carry out historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz.”

 

In his statement at the Brics meeting on Friday, Jaishankar flagged the centrality of UN reforms including of the Security Council. “Without expansion of both the permanent and non - permanent categories, UN’s effectiveness and credibility will remain constrained,” he said.

 

The timely need is for text-based negotiations to take UN reforms forward, he said. Jaishankar also spoke of the urgency of international financial architecture reforms, enabling multilateral development banks to become more responsive, robust and equipped, as well as increasing accessibility of development and climate finance.

 

Jaishankar underlined “the importance of a rules-based, fair, open and inclusive international trading system with World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, responding to challenges of non-market practices, concentration of supply chains and uncertain market access.” “The message from our times is clear - cooperation is essential. Dialogue is necessary. Reform is overdue,” the external affairs minister said.

 

The outcome document, issued after the meeting concluded, said urged the developing world to stick together to tackle global challenges, and highlighted the importance of the Global South as a driver of positive change.

 

The Brics foreign ministers noted the current global context of polarisation and distrust. They agreed that Brics members represent a broad diversity of societies and civilisations which are affected differently by unjustified unilateral protectionist measures inconsistent with WTO rules. They emphasised creating more resilient, reliable and stable supply chains.

 

The ministers said bloc should continue discussions of Brics cross-border payments initiative and of reinforcing the Brics reinsurance capacity..

 

The ministers condemned the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law, and reiterated that such measures, such as unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions, have far-reaching negative implications for the general population of targeted states. They called for the elimination of such unlawful measures. They said that Brics member states do not impose or support non-UN Security Council authorised sanctions that are contrary to international law.