BRICS New Delhi Meet Fails to Issue Joint Statement
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- BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys met in New Delhi on April 23-24, 2026, and ended without a joint statement, with the Ministry of External Affairs eventually issuing a "Chair's Statement" that only reflected subjects discussed — the same fallback India used during 2023 G-20 ministerial meetings deadlocked over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- Iran and the UAE clashed over the West Asia war — Iran wanted language recognizing that the U.S. and Israel initiated the conflict on February 28, 2026, while the UAE insisted on a paragraph criticizing Iran for attacking a fellow BRICS member.
- India sought to soften BRICS language on Israel-Palestine, including dropping references to "East Jerusalem" as the Palestinian capital and replacing "Israel" with "occupying power" in criticism of operations in the West Bank and Lebanon — moves that one unnamed diplomat said "surprised" other members, since India has agreed to such language at many multilateral fora.
- An unnamed government source told PTI there was "no change in India's position on the Palestine issue" and blamed "sharp difference of positions among members who are party to the conflict"; the Ministry of External Affairs declined multiple requests to address whether India's Palestine stance was isolated at the meeting.
- BRICS Foreign Ministers are due to meet on May 14-15, with the summit scheduled for September 10-11, 2026; the grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the UAE, with Saudi Arabia granted membership in 2024 but not yet joined.
- One delegate described the meetings as "tedious and prolonged" and another said the environment was "very tense, with each side taking maximalist positions, and adamant about not giving ground," with sessions running past midnight on April 23 and hours past the scheduled lunchtime close on April 24.
Why it matters: India's BRICS chairmanship hits an early obstacle — the same dynamic that forced a Chair's Statement during the 2023 G-20 over Russia-Ukraine. With Foreign Ministers due May 14-15 and the summit September 10-11, the 11 members couldn't bridge UAE-Iran divides over the February 28 West Asia conflict or India's push to swap 'Israel' for 'occupying power' in draft language on the West Bank and Lebanon.
