BRICS agrees to joint declaration in test of unity despite Mideast tensions

BRICS reaches agreement on joint declaration at New Delhi summit amid regional tensions

NEW DELHI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - The BRICS group of emerging economies has agreed on a joint declaration, sources told Reuters on Saturday, as its leaders began summit talks in New Delhi. The document is intended to strengthen the bloc's role in international affairs.

Host India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the bloc had reached a stage where it should convert its unity and consensus into specific actions on the global stage, as he opened the meeting.

The summit is taking place as the United States and Iran have resumed strikes in a conflict that began six months earlier. A pause in fighting occurred for much of August, while Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen increased their control in the Red Sea region. The meeting also seeks to address divisions between members Iran and the United Arab Emirates over the Gulf conflict.

Negotiators had agreed on a joint declaration that is unlikely to name any specific country but will condemn unilateral aggression by any country, four sources told Reuters. The bloc's leaders were expected to approve the document later on Saturday. The sources declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media. The foreign ministry of host India did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the declaration.

The negotiations involved differences on several issues, but India conducted sustained consultations to bridge positions and build consensus among members, said an Indian source with direct knowledge of the development. Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in the Gulf region, securing consensus presented a complex diplomatic challenge, the source said.

Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian, Ramaphosa in attendance

Foreign policy experts had said the key test for the bloc would be finding language on the Middle East situation that both Abu Dhabi and Tehran could accept, allowing for a joint declaration. Such a statement was unlikely to alter the current geopolitical situation but would show unity among a grouping of emerging nations regarding policies such as sanctions, which some members consider economically damaging, they said.

BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi in May were unable to issue a joint statement due to differences between Iran and the UAE.

The BRICS bloc is seeking to increase its influence by shaping international rules and calling for reform of institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization, which some members view as dominated by Western powers.

Leaders attending the summit include Russian President Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, among others.

Chinese President Xi said BRICS countries should stand on the right side of history by guiding the international order toward greater equity and justice.

New Delhi, which maintains ties with the United States, Russia, Israel, Iran and the Gulf Arab states, is managing multiple diplomatic relationships. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is urging BRICS members to increase trade cooperation, lower barriers and expand business opportunities.

Every country should have a voice, Modi says

"While strengthening BRICS, we must also determine the direction of global reform," Modi said. "The Global South is today in the front row when it comes to global crises, but in the back row when it comes to decision-making. We have to transform this pyramid and privilege into a platform of partnership — where every country has a voice, every member has a stake."

Modi also repeated India's longstanding call for expansion of the U.N. Security Council, including permanent seats for itself and other emerging powers, saying that reform of the Security Council can no longer be delayed.

"The message of this BRICS Summit being held in India should be clear: If our future is shared, then the right to shape that future must also be shared," Modi said.

BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. It was established in 2009 to increase the influence of emerging economies in global institutions. Together, its members account for more than 40% of the world's population and almost a quarter of the global economy.

(Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh, Shivangi Acharya, Saurabh Sharma, Aftab Ahmed, Sakshi Dayal, Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Hritam Mukherjee; Writing by YP Rajesh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jacqueline Wong)