Leaders from the BRICS countries are meeting in New Delhi for a major summit focused on trade, investment, and global conflicts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and representatives from the other seven BRICS members. The group is trying to increase its influence in global decision-making for developing nations. The two-day gathering is the 18th BRICS Summit and runs September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam.
The summit is taking place as tensions continue between countries in Ukraine and the Middle East, which challenge the group's unity, according to NPR. Thousands of police and paramilitary forces are on duty around the summit location in New Delhi to ensure security, according to a report from France 24. About 15,000 Delhi Police personnel and 200 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed for the summit. BRICS was first formed in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010, news.google.com reported.
The group now includes eleven members who together represent nearly half the world’s population and a large share of global economic activity. India's government says the 11 members represent 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP, and 26% of global trade. The leaders are expected to talk about cooperation in areas like energy, food security, technology, and supply chains. Reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar is a major goal for the group.
Members want to use their own currencies more in trade and look for alternatives to Western financial systems. China and Russia see BRICS as a way to reduce the influence of the United States and strengthen cooperation among developing economies. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech at the BRICS Business Forum that the group is not against any country.
He added that Russia supports working with countries around the world to meet their own interests. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian supported using national currencies more in trade among BRICS members. He said expanding the use of local money in transactions is one of the most important steps for the group.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that President Xi Jinping will talk about global issues and cooperation among BRICS members. India is trying to balance its relationships with Russia and Iran while also building ties with Western countries like the United States and Europe. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian before the summit.
India is also hoping this meeting will help improve its relationship with China after border tensions in 2020. Modi and Xi met on Saturday for talks aimed at improving relations between the two nations. Modi said peace along the disputed border was essential and urged both sides to honor existing agreements.
India secured unanimous agreement on the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, the first day of the summit. The declaration called for restraint in the Middle East and said international disputes should be resolved through dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy. The declaration also raised concerns about unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures.
Divisions were clear in May when foreign ministers could not agree on a statement about Iran, forcing India to issue its own summary. The summit is happening as concerns grow that conflict in Iran may spread due to worsening relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.