BRICS officials fail to reach consensus on West Asia amid member divisions
The grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, along with newer members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia, remains split as some members are on opposing sides of the ongoing tensions.
Senior officials of BRICS failed to reach a consensus on the situation in West Asia during a meeting of special envoys and junior foreign ministers held in New Delhi last week, due to sharp divisions among member states directly involved in the conflict.
The grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, along with newer members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia, remains split as some members are on opposing sides of the ongoing tensions.
According to Indian officials, efforts to bridge differences were unsuccessful, particularly due to disagreements between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia and the UAE—both hosts to US military bases—have recently come under missile and drone attacks from Iran, further complicating consensus-building within the bloc.
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India, which holds the BRICS presidency this year, is set to host the foreign ministers' meeting next month ahead of the annual summit later in 2026.
In the absence of agreement, the meeting did not issue a joint communiqué. Instead, a Chair's statement noted that members "expressed deep concern" over the recent developments in the Middle East and shared their respective views and assessments.
Discussions also covered a wide range of regional issues, including the Palestine question and the situation in Gaza, humanitarian assistance, the role of UNRWA, a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, the ceasefire in Lebanon, attacks on UNIFIL, as well as post-conflict reconstruction in Syria and political processes in Yemen, Iraq and Libya. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan was also addressed.
The participants agreed to convene again under China's chairship in 2027, according to a statement issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs.
Indian authorities reiterated that the country's longstanding policy supports a negotiated two-state solution, calling for a sovereign and independent Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel within secure and recognised borders, along with Palestine's membership in the United Nations.
