A meeting of foreign ministers and special envoys from the BRICS bloc in New Delhi ended on Friday without a joint final declaration, reflecting divisions among members over thorny geopolitical issues.
While a statement from host country India said participants had expressed "deep concern" about developments in the Middle East, it also noted “differing views among some members as regard to the situation in the West Asia/Middle East region."
BRICS — originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — has expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. The group, which sees itself as a counterweight to the West, aims to coordinate positions on major crises.
India, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency this year, hosted the two-day foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. China’s foreign minister was among those absent.
Participants stressed the need for a swift resolution to the Middle East crisis, according to the Indian statement, and called for adherence to international law and the unhindered passage of ships through international waterways. Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, many vessels have been unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Reports of heated exchanges
Indian and Iranian media reported a tense exchange on the first day of the meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar.
Araghchi accused the United Arab Emirates of actively assisting US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, while Al Marar criticized Tehran for attacks on several neighbouring countries, the reports said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was said to have intervened to calm the situation.
Iran had launched retaliatory strikes against Gulf states in response to Israeli and US attacks, with the United Arab Emirates among those most affected.
The situation in the Gaza Strip was also discussed. According to the Indian statement, as in previous years participants reiterated that “the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” However, one member expressed reservations about aspects of the paragraph concerning Gaza, although no country was named.
