The BRICS grouping on Saturday (September 12) adopted a joint declaration with consensus, overcoming sharp divisions between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict following a series of back-channel negotiations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the end of the opening day’s deliberations at the two-day India-hosted summit.
The negotiations on the text of the declaration went down to the wire as both Iran and the UAE had hardened their positions initially. BRICS is a consensus-based grouping, meaning any single member can block a final joint declaration.
Read the joint declaration here.
Modi was seen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the conclusion of the inaugural session at the summit. “Today’s discussion makes it evident that the changing world cannot be steered by outdated institutions; reforms are essential in representation, responsiveness and rule-making,” Modi said in his concluding remarks. “We also emphasised that the Global South must have equal participation in the development of future technologies and the rules governing them.”
The two-day BRICS Summit started in New Delhi today with the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. India assumed its fourth BRICS Chairship on January 1. The year 2026 also marks a milestone as BRICS completes 20 years since its establishment.
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