Deputy foreign ministers and special envoys from BRICS countries met in New Delhi and voiced deep concern about the escalating conflict in West Asia, calling for sustained humanitarian assistance, respect for international mechanisms, and renewed political efforts to restore stability.
The Chair’s Statement stressed the urgent need for humanitarian aid and highlighted UNRWA’s role in addressing the crisis. Delegates affirmed a zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and condemned attacks on United Nations peacekeeping operations, describing assaults on UNIFIL as unacceptable.
Participants welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, reviewed options for post-conflict reconstruction in Syria, and underscored the necessity of a political settlement in Yemen. The situation in Iraq, the revival of Libya’s political process, and the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan were also key items on the agenda.
The consultations signaled BRICS’ effort to build a coordinated approach to overlapping crises across the Middle East and North Africa at a time when broader diplomatic responses remain fragmented. Officials said the meeting aimed to align perspectives among major emerging economies on conflict resolution, humanitarian relief, and long-term regional stability.
Envoys agreed to continue engagement and to reconvene under China’s chairship in 2027, indicating an ongoing BRICS role in shaping discussions on West Asian geopolitics.
Since the outbreak of the recent conflict on February 28, attention has focused on BRICS’ potential role. Tehran has repeatedly urged New Delhi, the current chair, to activate the forum as a diplomatic counterweight to Western influence, calling on BRICS to condemn what Iran describes as military aggression by the United States and Israel. The matter has been raised in exchanges between Iranian and Indian leaders and officials.
Iran’s push reflects a broader strategy to use BRICS, which recently expanded to include Tehran, as a Global South platform. But divergent strategic interests among member states — from close relations with Western powers to firmly anti-Western positions — complicate the prospects for a unified response.
For India, the challenge is to preserve strategic autonomy while using its presidency to project BRICS as a credible voice for the Global South, balancing competing demands among members as the group seeks a coordinated stance on the region’s complex crises.
