BRICS countries seek greater say in global decisions

The BRICS summit opened in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought together leaders who rarely sit at the same table: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

In his opening speech, Modi criticized the imbalance between the political weight of Global South countries and their weight in decision-making. He said these countries are on the front line when crises break out, but are pushed to the margins when it comes to decisions. He called for moving beyond what he described as a pyramid of privilege, toward a platform where every nation can make its voice heard.

Middle East at the center of talks

Much of the day was devoted to the situation in the Middle East. Xi Jinping urged BRICS countries to play a mediating role in the conflict, and pledged that Beijing would work with the other members toward that goal. The Chinese president argued that the war does not serve the common interests of the international community.

The leaders then unanimously adopted the New Delhi declaration, calling for restraint and a return to dialogue to avoid further military escalation. Reaching a shared position is no small task: the group now also includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, countries with very different relations both with each other and with Western powers.

Modi also proposed strengthening practical cooperation among members, for instance in maritime security and support for workers in the shipping sector. The stated goal is to turn BRICS into a more structured network capable of producing concrete initiatives, not just political statements.

The summit's underlying message concerns the future of the global order: in the view of BRICS countries, the world can no longer be governed solely by rules set by Western powers. The group's expansion in recent years has increased its demographic, energy and economic weight, but has also made it harder to reach common positions.

Relations between India and China were also a focus of the meeting. After the 2020 clashes at the disputed border, which had sharply worsened bilateral ties, Modi and Xi agreed to work toward stabilizing relations.

BRICS today brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The group was founded in 2009 as BRIC, at the initiative of Brazil, Russia, India and China, with the aim of challenging a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. It now accounts for more than 40% of the world's population and nearly a quarter of the global economy.