Delhi Brics summit reaches joint declaration while sidestepping key disputes

World leaders converged on Delhi this weekend for a Brics summit, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the group to become "rule-shapers" rather than "rule-takers."

The member states have a history of tension: India and China clashed deadly along their disputed border in 2020, while Iran and the UAE recently stood on opposing sides of the Middle East conflict, with Tehran launching missiles and drones at its fellow Brics member.

A carefully worded compromise

After two earlier attempts this year to issue a joint ministerial statement failed, the summit adopted the "New Delhi Declaration." It calls for "maximum restraint" regarding the Middle East war and condemns attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities without assigning blame. It reaffirms support for a two-state solution but makes no mention of Russia's war in Ukraine, a notable departure from previous Brics statements. On trade, the declaration criticises rising tariffs and unilateral sanctions but avoids naming the United States directly, likely to sidestep angering President Donald Trump, who has previously called some Brics proposals "anti-American."

Rare bilateral meetings

The summit also created space for unusual diplomatic encounters. Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince held their highest-level face-to-face talks since the war began, giving Iran a chance to show it is not isolated amid US and Israeli pressure. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping's visit to Delhi was his first in seven years; despite lingering mistrust following the 2020 border clash, the two sides agreed to strengthen business ties and transport links, though officials cautioned that concrete progress remains to be seen.