Government
BRICS Summit closes with New Delhi Declaration adoption
BRICS leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th summit, with India also mediating a joint statement between the UAE and Iran after overnight talks.
The 18th BRICS Summit closed with leaders unanimously adopting the New Delhi Declaration on September 12.
The declaration called for restraint in the Middle East and addressed AI cooperation, energy security and local-currency trade, while stopping short of condemning the US-Israeli strikes or Iran’s targeting of Gulf countries.
India played a mediating role at the summit, helping secure a joint statement between the UAE and Iran after talks that continued until 4 am on September 12.
PM Modi said the Declaration reflected a BRICS that is ‘wider in reach and stronger in purpose’, calling for time-bound follow-through.
Security was tightened significantly at the Bharat Mandapam venue on the summit’s closing day, with thousands of personnel deployed across the capital.
PM Modi described the Declaration’s outcome as reflecting a BRICS that is ‘wider in reach and stronger in purpose’, urging members to translate the outcomes into time-bound action.
Security was tightened significantly at the Bharat Mandapam venue for the summit’s final day, with thousands of personnel deployed across New Delhi.
The 18th BRICS Summit brought together leaders and senior delegations from member states including Russia, China, South Africa, Iran and several newer bloc entrants.
Major summit themes included artificial intelligence cooperation, energy security, and stronger representation for Global South nations in international institutions.
The declaration’s adoption came after member states worked through sharp differences on the West Asia conflict and other contentious geopolitical issues in the lead-up to the summit.
The New Delhi Declaration called for restraint in the Middle East but stopped short of condemning either the US-Israeli strikes or Iran’s targeting of Gulf countries in the region.
The declaration also criticised the ongoing global trade war without directly naming the United States, reflecting the bloc’s effort to balance differing member positions.
BRICS did not launch a common currency at the summit, with the focus instead remaining on promoting local-currency trade and cross-border payment systems among member nations.
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0