BRICS Sherpas Work to Bridge West Asia Differences for Joint Statement; India Confident of Consensus

Source: ThePrint | Original Published At: 2026-09-10 12:14:43 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS Sherpas have been negotiating in person since at least Tuesday to bridge differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over language on West Asia for a joint leaders' statement.
• Indian officials are confident a compromise formula can be reached that may address unprovoked aggression without condemning specific nations, while maintaining focus on a joint declaration.
• The BRICS Leaders' Summit begins Saturday, with outreach events on Sunday; BRICS Business Forum activities begin Friday, and leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected or confirmed.
• India has cited its strong ties with the United Arab Emirates and Iran, as well as the recent thaw in relations with China, as factors that may help find consensus among member states.
• The expansion of BRICS in 2024 and 2025 has made consensus harder, with past foreign ministers' meetings under Egypt and Ethiopia, Brazil, and India failing to agree on joint statements or parts of the language.
• At the May foreign ministers' meeting chaired by India, member states issued a 63-paragraph statement but reserved on paragraphs concerning Gaza and navigation rights in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
• For India, the negotiations are viewed as an important diplomatic test of bringing opposing sides into dialogue, similar to its consensus-building during the G20 presidency.