BRICS summit opens in New Delhi amid wars, global tensions, tariffs

What the report says

BRICS leaders and representatives have gathered in New Delhi for the bloc’s annual summit, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over two days. According to Al Jazeera, attendees include China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside leaders or envoys from Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil. The meeting comes as India holds the rotating presidency and marks the bloc’s 20th year.

Al Jazeera reported that the agenda is being shaped by major external pressures, including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, disruptions to energy and shipping, and disputes over tariffs and trade restrictions. Members are also expected to discuss ways to expand non-Western payment systems and cooperation on artificial intelligence. The article said BRICS finance officials have criticized tariffs and non-tariff barriers they view as inconsistent with WTO rules.

The summit also reflects internal divisions within the group, especially over how to respond to the conflict involving Iran and the United States and Israel. Al Jazeera noted that a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting earlier this year ended without a joint statement on that issue, despite last year’s summit producing a condemnation of strikes on Iran. In a broader sense, the gathering matters because BRICS is trying to present itself as a stronger voice for the Global South while balancing competing interests among its enlarged membership.