On Sunday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for increased cooperation and support throughout the Global South and warned that growing geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and climate concerns are rapidly harming people worldwide.
Speaking on the second day of the BRICS meeting in New Delhi, Modi cautioned that the “weaponization of technology and critical minerals” might impede shared wealth and global growth.
Since its founding in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS has grown to 11 members, accounting for about half of the world’s population and a sizeable portion of its economic output.
It has pushed alternatives to Western-dominated financial systems and pushed for increased participation for developing nations in international organizations.
Alongside leaders of the bloc, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Modi stated, “The number of conflicts and tensions in the world is continuously increasing, and this is having an increasingly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people.”
“In today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region, as demonstrated by pandemics, climate disasters, and supply-chain disruptions,” Modi said, announcing that the bloc had decided to create an integrated early warning system for infectious diseases in order to improve readiness and response to future outbreaks.
Modi called on the bloc countries to transform the summit’s agreements from “files to real-life impact” and turn them into concrete, time-bound action in his summit closing remarks.
He claimed that the conversations that have taken place over the last two days have strengthened the conviction that “BRICS is not merely a group of countries, but an ecosystem of solutions.” As China assumes the BRICS chair for the upcoming term, he wished it well.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, the group voiced concern about the rising tensions in Sudan and the Middle East and urged diplomacy and communication to be used to settle conflicts.
The bloc reaffirmed its support for international financial organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as improvements to the United Nations, particularly its Security Council, and a multipolar world order.
The leaders denounced sanctions not approved by the U.N. and rejected coercive economic measures and unilateral penalties. Additionally, they denounced growing tariffs and nontariff barriers, claiming they jeopardize international supply chains and trade.
The group called for collaboration on food security, energy, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and climate action while supporting stronger cross-border payment systems and increased use of local currencies in commerce.
Finding agreement between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—all of which have opposing views on important regional and geopolitical issues—was a difficult diplomatic task in the face of continued hostilities and elevated tensions, thus the proclamation was a major breakthrough.
