NEW DELHI, India, May 19 — Deep divisions over the escalating conflict in West Asia overshadowed the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting held in New Delhi on May 14–15, forcing member states to forgo a traditional joint communiqué and instead issue a Chair’s Statement and Outcome Document reflecting unresolved disagreements.
The expanded BRICS bloc, now comprising 11 member states and 10 partner countries, struggled to bridge differences stemming from the Gulf conflict, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aligned with the United States and Israel, while Iran stood firmly opposed.
Despite days of intensive preparations, including a Sherpas’ meeting from May 11–13, negotiators failed to secure consensus on several contentious geopolitical issues.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar acknowledged the divisions, noting that “there were differing views among some members regarding the situation in West Asia/the Middle East.”
The outcome document, spanning 63 paragraphs, stopped short of becoming a full joint statement after disagreements emerged over references to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and maritime navigation rights in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Reports indicated Iran objected to two specific paragraphs, although its reservations were not formally detailed.
Even so, the meeting was not viewed as a failure.
India’s BRICS Sherpa and Foreign Ministry Secretary Sudhakar Dalela defended the final document, saying it reflected the “common position of members on almost all subjects.”
While tensions over the Middle East dominated headlines, BRICS members still managed to advance several core priorities ahead of the next summit expected in Delhi in September.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the bloc’s strategic partnership under its three pillars — political and security cooperation, economic and financial collaboration, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
They also reiterated support for the “BRICS spirit” of mutual respect, equality, solidarity, inclusiveness and consensus.
A key area of agreement was the growing role of the Global South and emerging economies in shaping a multipolar world order.
The ministers described BRICS as a crucial platform for amplifying the concerns and priorities of developing nations while advocating for a more inclusive global governance system.
The meeting also reaffirmed support for BRICS’ flagship institutions — the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).
Members backed efforts to expand local currency financing, increase innovation funding and broaden NDB membership, while also supporting the inclusion of newer BRICS members into the CRA framework.
The issue of BRICS expansion, previously a source of internal disagreement, appeared to move closer to consensus.
Foreign ministers agreed that the bloc’s expansion reflected its growing influence and credibility globally, although they stopped short of endorsing the creation of a formal BRICS Secretariat due to lack of agreement.
The ministers further supported efforts to advance secure and transparent cross-border payment systems among BRICS nations and their partners, a move that could gradually reduce dependence on the US dollar in international trade.
Another major area of convergence was support for stronger people-to-people exchanges and cultural dialogue, aligned with the United Nations resolution establishing the International Day for Dialogue among Civilisations.
The Delhi meeting also reflected many of India’s strategic priorities, including stronger language on United Nations Security Council reform, food security, digital public infrastructure, disaster management and counterterrorism cooperation.
Despite the sharp disagreements over the Middle East crisis, the meeting demonstrated that BRICS continues to evolve as a major geopolitical and economic platform for the Global South, even as internal divisions become increasingly visible within the expanded bloc.
