BRICS talks end with ‘differing views’ on Middle East conflict

NEW DELHI (AP):

A two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the BRICS nations concluded in New Delhi yesterday without a joint statement, due to “differing views among some members” on the situation in the Middle East, host India said.

The divisions underscore the challenge of maintaining unity within the bloc as it attempts to expand its global influence.

An Indian statement said members expressed “their respective national positions and shared a range of perspectives” on issues including sovereignty, maritime security, and the protection of civilian infrastructure and lives in the Middle East.

It also included a footnote noting that “a member had reservations” about parts of sections dealing with Gaza and security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

Divisions among members have become more pronounced during the Iran war, particularly between Iran and the UAE.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged BRICS nations to condemn the US and Israel over what he described as their “unlawful aggression”. He also called on member states to resist what he said was the politicisation of international institutions.

Caption: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (third right) speaks with Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim El Khereiji (second right) as India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar (right), South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola (second left), Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left), and Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang (third left) look on during a photo call at a two-day meeting in New Delhi, India, on Thursday. AP