BRICS members agree joint declaration at New Delhi summit

BRICS members agreed on a joint declaration on Saturday, expected to condemn unilateral aggression by any country without naming individual states, according to sources cited by Reuters.

The agreement was reached as leaders gathered in New Delhi for the group's annual summit, with the declaration expected to be formally approved later on Saturday.

Opening the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for BRICS to turn its unity into concrete results and give emerging economies a greater role in global decision-making.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is representing the UAE at the summit, alongside leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The session explored ways to advance global governance and strengthen the effectiveness of multilateralism, while enhancing the role of Global South nations and supporting cooperation across economic, trade and technology sectors.

Discussions also addressed the need to build economies that are more resilient, sustainable and better equipped to respond to global challenges and rapidly evolving developments.

The session also highlighted the importance of pooling efforts and developing practical partnerships among BRICS countries to support economic growth, facilitate trade and encourage investment, accelerate innovation and technological transformation, safeguard energy and food security, and strengthen sustainability and resilience in responding to shared crises and challenges.

Modi also called for reform of international institutions, including the UN Security Council, and urged BRICS countries to strengthen trade cooperation, reduce barriers and expand business opportunities.

BRICS comprises the UAE, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.