Ahead of Brics Summit next month, India works to bridge divide over West Asia conflict

Iran and the UAE, which are on opposite sides of the conflict, have hit discussions within the Brics grouping.

India is engaged in “frank” conversations with all Brics member states to finalise a consensus declaration at the grouping’s summit in New Delhi next month, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday against the backdrop of differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the West Asia conflict.

The ongoing discussions have also focused on resolving the crisis in West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy and ensuring the unimpeded flow of maritime commerce, the people said.

India is set to host the 18th Brics Summit in the capital during September 12-13, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to attend. This will be Xi’s first trip to India in seven years, and he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The discussions among the Brics states in preparatory meetings have focused on territorial integrity, the free flow of maritime commerce, the protection of civilians and civil infrastructure, and the resolution of the West Asia conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, the people said.

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical energy chokepoint that transports almost 20% of global oil flows, has resulted in severe energy supply disruptions. Iran and the UAE, being on opposite sides of the conflict, have hit discussions within the Brics grouping.

A Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in May concluded without a joint statement because of the differences between Iran and the UAE. Indian officials said earlier that the chair’s statement and outcome document issued by India after the foreign ministers’ meeting, which featured two specific paragraphs on which unanimity couldn’t be reached, could serve as the template for the summit declaration.

India is engaged in “candid” discussions with Brics states to forge consensus on all important matters, the people said when responding to a question on whether the upcoming summit will produce a joint declaration.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement that India’s leadership of Brics chairship is guided by the theme of “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting the vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “humanity first”.

The leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-Brics cooperation on common priorities and take up global and regional matters. India has organised more than 350 meetings and engagements in some 25 cities to strengthen the Brics partnership across three pillars – political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Brics originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and it was expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE. Indonesia joined in 2025.

Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became partner countries last year.

Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More