BRICS leaders adopt New Delhi Declaration, avoiding direct blame in Middle East war

Consensus on Middle East tensions

The 18th BRICS summit concluded in New Delhi on 13 September 2026 after two days of negotiations led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leaders of the 11-member bloc unanimously adopted the 45-page New Delhi Declaration on Saturday at the Bharat Mandapam venue. The gathering included Russian President Vladimir Putin in personal attendance, alongside leaders from founding states and newer members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. The final document addressed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East by expressing deep concern over escalating regional tensions and calling for maximum restraint from all parties. Negotiators avoided naming or assigning blame to the United States, Israel, or Iran, reflecting diplomatic compromises among member states that hold opposing allegiances. The declaration also condemned deliberate attacks against civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. Notably, the text omitted any mention of Ukraine, in contrast to the 2025 summit declaration in Rio de Janeiro.

Bilateral diplomacy and trade frictions

The summit provided a forum for direct bilateral talks between regional rivals within the expanded bloc. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marking the highest-level direct engagement between Iran and the United Arab Emirates since military hostilities expanded in the Gulf. Previous ministerial discussions in New Delhi in May 2026 had failed to yield a joint communiqué because of differences between Tehran and Abu Dhabi. In the final declaration, member nations criticised unilateral economic sanctions lacking United Nations Security Council authorisation, as well as trade protectionism. Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed economic rules in his remarks to the assembly.

The Global South must uphold international law and protect the basic rules of relations between states. A world without rules is like an intersection without traffic lights: chaos and disorder are inevitable.

National resilience and energy priorities

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto focused his address on internal resilience and multilateral reform, referencing the 1955 Bandung Asian-African Conference. Prabowo stated that developing nations must avoid external dictation, call for reforms within the United Nations, and prioritise domestic food and energy production to build independence.

Strength always starts at home, from our people, from our ability to feed our people, to provide the energy they need, to educate our children, and to give them opportunities to prosper. That is how we build a resilient and truly independent nation.

Prabowo added that BRICS members are interconnecting energy systems to reinforce regional security across developing economies. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that BRICS represents approximately 40% of global gross domestic product and nearly half of the world population, arguing that the bloc aims to act as a rule-shaper rather than an anti-Western grouping.

Technology initiatives and 2027 chairmanship

Discussions during the closing sessions turned to technological governance and global supply chains. Narendra Modi warned against the weaponisation of critical raw materials and technologies, advocating for inclusive global standards. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will launch an open-source artificial intelligence community for BRICS nations. China was also confirmed as the host nation for the 19th annual BRICS summit in 2027.