With tensions in the Middle East flaring again, BRICS leaders moved quickly to project unity, unanimously approving a joint declaration that voiced “deep concern” about the war and called for maximum restraint alongside a “multilateral approach” that respects national viewpoints.
The statement, adopted on the opening day of the BRICS leaders’ annual summit in New Delhi, comes as the US and Iran have returned to tit-for-tat strikes after fighting largely paused for much of August.
Reaching consensus was widely seen as a steep test for host New Delhi, given that the expanded BRICS bloc includes Iran as well as the United Arab Emirates, a US ally.
“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East…call for exercising maximum restraint…avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation,” the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ said.
The declaration reaffirmed member states’ commitment to resolving international disputes peacefully “through dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy,” a formulation aimed at underscoring negotiation over confrontation.
It also raised alarm over a growing use of “unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures” that distort trade, a reference made against the backdrop of US sanctions on Tehran amid its war with the country, and on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.
BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
