BRICS nations meet in Delhi as India calls for dialogue and diplomacy

India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that emerging economies and developing countries were increasingly looking at the BRICS grouping to play a stabilising role in global affairs as the bloc opened a two-day meeting in New Delhi amid tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“Peace and security remain central to the global order. Recent conflicts only underline the importance of dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaishankar said in New Delhi.

The BRICS grouping was founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China before South Africa joined in 2011. The bloc later expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. India is set to chair BRICS in 2026.

Foreign ministers from most member countries are attending the meeting in the Indian capital, including Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi and the UAE’s deputy foreign minister Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar.

The meeting comes amid tensions between Iran and the UAE linked to the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has made it difficult for the grouping to reach consensus on a joint closing statement, highlighting differences between Iran and the UAE, which are on opposing sides in the conflict.

“There is a growing expectation, particularly from emerging markets and developing countries, that BRICS will play a constructive and stabilising role,” Jaishankar said.