New Delhi, Sept 2026 : In a significant diplomatic achievement, BRICS member countries have reached consensus on a Joint Statement despite deep geopolitical differences within the expanded grouping. The statement is expected to be released later on Saturday, the first day of the 18th BRICS Summit being hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The agreement followed intensive consultations and negotiations led by India, which continued from Friday and went on until around 4 AM on Saturday, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The negotiations involved differences over several contentious geopolitical and regional issues. India undertook sustained consultations with member countries to bridge competing positions and work towards a common understanding.
The consensus assumes particular significance because Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are all members of BRICS despite having sharply divergent positions on several regional and geopolitical matters.
"Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, securing consensus among countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE presented a particularly complex diplomatic challenge," a source said.
The source added that India's diplomatic efforts helped ensure that differences among members did not derail the BRICS process and ultimately paved the way for a consensus Joint Statement.
The development is being viewed as an important test of India's diplomatic approach as chair of BRICS, particularly at a time when conflicts and geopolitical tensions have made consensus-building among major emerging economies increasingly difficult.
India's diplomatic challenge had become evident earlier this year when the BRICS ministerial meeting held in New Delhi in May concluded without a customary joint statement. It was the first time in the bloc's history that a ministerial summit failed to produce such a document.
At the time, India issued a Chair's Statement and Outcome Document after differences between Iran and the UAE prevented member countries from reaching consensus.
Against this backdrop, the successful negotiations for a Joint Statement at the leaders' summit represent a notable diplomatic turnaround.
India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving international conflicts. New Delhi has repeatedly maintained that the world is not in an era where conflicts should be settled through war and that solutions cannot emerge from the battlefield.
During its BRICS Chairship, India has also sought to advance the interests of the Global South while avoiding positioning the grouping as an anti-Western bloc, similar to the balanced approach adopted during India's G20 Presidency.
However, analysts note that BRICS remains challenging terrain for India's diplomacy. The expansion of the grouping has made consensus more difficult, while differences remain over the organisation's strategic direction.
A recent report in Australia's The Interpreter noted that India and Brazil largely view BRICS as an economic platform, whereas China and Russia tend to attach greater geopolitical significance to the grouping.
India sees itself as a reformist rather than revisionist power, seeking greater representation in global governance, including a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and a stronger role in shaping financial and technological rules.
The consensus Joint Statement therefore underlines India's ability to navigate competing interests while keeping BRICS focused on cooperation and the concerns of the Global South.
Disclaimer: This article is sourced from a news agency and has not been independently edited by the MaverickNews30 team. The copy has been slightly edited with AI assistance for language and presentation, without altering the original facts.
