The New Indian Express ·
Politics
BRICS Summit forged consensus despite ‘very polarised world’, West Asia conflict, says Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday described the BRICS Summit held under India’s chairship as a success, saying member countries managed to forge a consensus despite a “very polarised world” and sharp differences over the West Asia conflict.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Jaishankar said the West Asia conflict was “the toughest issue of the day” but the grouping was able to adopt a joint statement on the issue.
“The BRICS Summit was taking place in a very polarised world – there were two major conflicts, big divides and very strong opinions and interests. Even in the midst of this polarisation, we actually forged a consensus,” Jaishankar said.
The BRICS members adopted the joint New Delhi Declaration on Saturday after overcoming differences between the UAE and Iran over the West Asia conflict. The declaration notably did not directly mention the US over its attacks on Iran.
The negotiations over the declaration went down to the wire as Iran and the UAE initially hardened their positions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the end of the opening day's deliberations in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other leaders of the bloc.
Jaishankar said the declaration called for peace, security, stability and long-term understanding, while stressing the need for the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, besides protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
“It wasn't just that we were able to negotiate an understanding in a polarised world,” Jaishankar said, adding that the overall atmosphere and ethos of the summit, which concluded on Sunday, was marked by “very open and comfortable conversations”.
He said leaders who might not have met under other circumstances were able to hold discussions on the sidelines of the summit, contributing to the global conversation on important issues.
Several bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines of the summit, including a meeting between the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and the Iranian president, which strategic affairs experts described as significant against the backdrop of the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Jaishankar said the “whole nation and indeed the world saw the success of the BRICS India Summit yesterday”.
As many as 32 delegations attended the summit — 11 from BRICS member states, 10 partner countries, four regional bodies and seven international organisations, he said.
Highlighting the participation of leaders at the highest level, Jaishankar said the summit demonstrated the “strong convening power of Modi's India”. He noted that presidents from Russia, China, Iran, South Africa, Indonesia and Egypt attended, along with the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
Jaishankar also highlighted the rapport between the visiting leaders and Prime Minister Modi, saying they had “very strong personal rapport” with him.
According to Jaishankar, the summit's agenda focused on the economy, development and technology for the Global South.
“Standing up for the Global South – that was a very strong message which came out,” he said, pointing to the two main sessions on reform and resilience as unifying themes that helped countries reach a consensus.
Jaishankar also highlighted the BRICS' position on terrorism and its condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“The consensus was very noteworthy on one issue – terrorism. The BRICS was very clear that any act of terrorism is criminal, and it explicitly recognised the unacceptability of the Pahalgam attack of April 2025,” he said.
He said BRICS leaders had condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, while emphasising a zero-tolerance approach and rejecting double standards in countering terrorism.
“Overall, I would say the prime minister’s message of dialogue, diplomacy and development resonated around the world,” Jaishankar said.
Concluding his remarks, he said, “Many people said it (the summit) won't happen. It did happen. It happened in New Delhi, and it happened under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.”
