India Overcomes Biggest BRICS Challenge as Joint Declaration Bridges Iran-UAE Divide

Source: India Today | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 09:30:59 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS members agreed on a joint declaration for the Delhi Summit, expected to be approved by leaders on Saturday.
• The declaration is reported to avoid naming countries and to condemn unilateral war by any nation, bridging Iran and UAE positions.
• The agreement is a diplomatic victory for India as host and chair, after BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement in May.
• The text will test whether India can keep BRICS aligned with its preferred stance of being non-Western but not anti-Western.
• Russia, Iran and possibly China are reported to have sought language critical of the United States, while India and others sought to protect relations with Washington.
• The Delhi Summit agenda includes health, food and energy security, supply chains, startups, artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, climate action and global governance reform.