BRICS New Delhi declaration agreed upon as India pulls off another diplomatic feat

BRICS leaders are set to approve a joint declaration condemning unilateral wars without naming any country, amid divisions over global conflicts. The New Delhi summit will focus on economic cooperation, trade, de-dollarisation and strengthening the Global South's role in global institutions.

In Short

• BRICS reached consensus on New Delhi Summit declaration after late-night talks
• India's diplomacy key in bridging divides among members including Iran and UAE
• Leaders discuss trade, security, currency use and reforms to global institutions

The BRICS group of countries has agreed on a joint declaration for the New Delhi Summit after intensive negotiations that went on until 4 am on Saturday. India Today TV has learnt the discussion on the declaration witnessed several differences on contentious issues, but sustained consultations led by India helped build a consensus among members.

This development once again underlines India's growing heft in global diplomacy. The BRICS grouping includes Iran and the UAE, both of whom have stark differences of opinion on the ongoing war in West Asia. This was the reason there was a lot of attention on whether India, the BRICS chair this year, would be able to get all nations to arrive at a consensus on the declaration.

India Today TV has learnt that the joint declaration is likely to be released at 4 pm today, shortly after the end of the New Delhi Summit's inaugural closed-door sessions. News agency Reuters, citing sources, has reported separately that the declaration will condemn unilateral actions of war by any country but will skip naming any particular nation.

It is worth noting that the BRICS 2026 Summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam -- the very venue where India pulled off a similar diplomatic feat in 2023. Back then, India was hosting the G20 Summit -- a grouping of countries with even more diverging opinions -- at the height of the Russia-Ukraine war.

It was believed that the G20 nations, which include the US, Russia, and China, among others, would unlikely be able to reach a joint statement due to differences on the war. However, New Delhi was able to lead similarly hectic negotiations to arrive at a joint declaration in what was seen as a major diplomatic coup.

Last year’s BRICS Summit saw the bloc issue a joint declaration condemning the 12-day US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran’s leadership and nuclear programme. But a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in May this year ended without a joint statement on the conflict.

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BRICS SEEKS UNITY AMID WEST ASIA, UKRAINE WARS

The leaders are meeting as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with rising US-China tensions, test the bloc's ability to find common ground among countries with competing geopolitical interests.

The leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, energy, food security, technology, supply chains and reforms to global institutions. Reducing reliance on the US dollar will also remain a priority, with members promoting greater use of their own currencies in trade and payments and pushing for alternatives to Western-dominated financial institutions.

China and Russia see BRICS as a way to reduce Western dominance, particularly that of the United States, while strengthening cooperation among emerging and developing economies.

Putin, speaking at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on Friday, said the grouping was not against anyone and that Moscow was open to cooperation with countries around the world. He said Russia was in favour of its interests.

Iran has also pushed for mechanisms that could reduce the bloc's reliance on Western financial systems and shield members from economic pressure, as Tehran faces sweeping sanctions and a US blockade. Pezeshkian backed expanding trade in national currencies among BRICS members.

For India, the summit highlights its effort to maintain strategic ties with Russia and Iran while deepening relations with the US and Europe. New Delhi has sought to balance its longstanding partnerships with Moscow and Tehran with efforts to expand economic, defence and technology ties with Washington and other Western nations.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday. PM Modi and Putin agreed to deepen ties, while PM Modi and Pezeshkian discussed freedom of navigation and the safety of ship crews.

President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday morning for his first visit to India in seven years, as the two Asian giants seek to thaw relations. PM Modi and Xi are to hold talks later Saturday, in a meeting that could help consolidate a diplomatic thaw between India and China after border tensions escalated in 2020.

TRADE TENSIONS AND GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS

BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors have objected to tariffs and non-tariff measures that they say distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules.

The US has levied tariffs on several BRICS members under different pretexts, often conditioning their removal on policy changes by the target country. US President Donald Trump has described the bloc as "anti-American" and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on countries that align with it.

New Delhi faces pressing issues including trade, finance, technology, energy security, resilient supply chains and climate change. But as the alliance marks its 20th anniversary, a major test is whether its newly expanded membership can further empower the Global South.

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