Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called on BRICS countries to play their “due role” in bringing peace to West Asia, saying the ongoing war in the region had caused serious losses and did not serve the interests of the international community.
Addressing the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Xi said China would work with other members to achieve peace and stability in West Asia and the Gulf region.
“As the situation in West Asia and the Gulf region continues to evolve, the war there has caused serious losses to people across the region and does not serve the common interests of the international community,” Xi said, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
Calling on emerging economies to “stand on the right side of history”, Xi urged BRICS members to oppose a Cold War mentality, violations of national sovereignty and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Xi also called for greater cooperation among BRICS countries on artificial intelligence to promote industrial development. He said the grouping should take the lead in global governance of cyberspace, outer space and the deep sea, while amplifying the voice of the Global South.
The Chinese President said BRICS should also champion innovative development, peace and stability, and mutual learning among civilisations. The grouping, he said, should work to make global governance more just and equitable and build a “community with a shared future for humanity”.
Xi arrived in New Delhi early Saturday, his first visit to India in seven years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the summit.
The summit is being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank chief Zou Jiayi are also attending the summit.
(With inputs from PTI)