NEW DELHI: BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) met in the capital on Friday, with members including Iran and the UAE expressing “deep concern on the recent conflict in the Middle East” in a chair’s statement issued after the talks.
Secretary (South) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Neena Malhotra, chaired the meeting. According to the MEA, participants had a “constructive exchange of views on the current regional developments.”
The discussions come amid continuing tensions across West Asia, including the US-Iran conflict, Israel-Hezbollah hostilities in Lebanon and a wider regional churn involving Gulf states.
The statement said deliberations covered the Palestine issue and the situation in Gaza, including the “provision of humanitarian aid” and the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Members also reiterated a “zero-tolerance approach to terrorism.”
On Lebanon, the grouping “welcomed the ceasefire” and underlined the “unacceptability of attacks” on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), even as sporadic hostilities have continued despite truce arrangements.
The consultations extended to “post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation in Syria,” the need for a “political settlement in Yemen,” and “stability and development in Iraq.”
The political process in Libya and efforts at “addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan” were also discussed, as per the statement.
The meeting brought together envoys from the expanded BRICS grouping, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, with key West Asian countries represented in the consultations.
Significantly, the outcome was issued as a chair’s statement rather than a joint statement.
Unlike a joint statement, which is formally negotiated and endorsed by all participating countries, a chair’s statement reflects the host’s summary of deliberations without implying full consensus on all issues.
The MEA statement added that members “agreed to meet again under China’s Chairship in 2027.”