Leaders of the 11-member BRICS group, including China, Russia, Iran and India, have called for calm in the Middle East, overcoming earlier divisions to issue a joint statement at a summit in New Delhi.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said the ongoing Middle East war did not serve the interests of the international community, as he joined Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders at the summit.
BRICS foreign ministers failed to reach agreement on a joint statement at a meeting in New Delhi in May, amid divisions among Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
However, intense diplomatic efforts by India, the host of the two-day summit, resulted in a joint statement on Saturday as the bloc seeks to strengthen its global influence and address conflicts, trade tensions and energy security.
“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/West Asia,” the statement said, calling on members to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that could further worsen the situation.
BRICS was established in 2009 as a platform for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in global institutions dominated by Western powers.
Opening the summit, Modi told Xi, Putin, Pezeshkian and other leaders that BRICS countries represented about half of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global GDP and more than 25 per cent of global trade.
He said the group needed to transform the existing “pyramid of privilege” into a platform for partnership.
The bloc faces complex diplomatic challenges, with India maintaining relations with both Iran and US ally Israel while seeking to preserve its ties with Washington.
Pezeshkian attended the summit after warning that the Middle East did not need the United States to act as a “regional policeman”. He also met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines.
India has also turned to Russia to help navigate the energy crisis linked to the US-Iran conflict, despite pressure from Washington and other Western countries over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Modi held talks with Putin on Friday and welcomed the Russian leader, one of New Delhi’s key strategic partners.
Xi’s participation was also closely watched as it marked his first visit to India since 2019 and the latest sign of improving ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The Chinese president received a red-carpet welcome, including a military honour guard and traditional dancers.
At a meeting with Modi, Xi said China and India could complement each other’s strengths, support one another and pursue mutual development despite their differences.
The visit came six years after a deadly military clash along the disputed Himalayan border. Relations have since gradually improved through the restoration of flights, visas and high-level contacts.
However, the territorial dispute remains unresolved, with both countries maintaining significant military deployments along their roughly 3,500-kilometre border.
India’s Foreign Ministry said the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to finding a “fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable” solution to the boundary dispute.
Modi also stressed the need for both sides to respect existing agreements and understandings on border issues.
Despite the diplomatic thaw, mistrust remains over the disputed frontier, a widening trade deficit and broader strategic rivalry.
Meanwhile, dozens of Tibetans protested in New Delhi on Friday against Xi’s visit, waving placards criticising the Chinese president. Many are Tibetan exiles who, like the Dalai Lama, have lived in India since fleeing Chinese rule in 1959.
