BRICS in Delhi, Diplomat Rush to Fix a Rift Before the Summit Falls Apart

With the war in West Asia intensifying after exchanges of strike between the United States and Iran, BRICS negotiators are working late into the night to finalise a joint declaration ahead of the leaders summit in New Delhi on September 12,13. The biggest challenge facing the BRICS Sherpas, the grouping senior negotiators, is reportedly how the declaration should address the conflict in West Asia. The issue is particularly sensitive because Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are all expected to be represented at the summit, despite their differing positions and regional interests. West Asia Conflict Tests BRICS Consensus The latest diplomatic push comes as the conflict has created fresh divisions among BRICS members and partners. Indian officials, working alongside representatives from Russia, Brazil and Egypt, are attempting to find language that all participating countries can accept. The UAE and Iran, both members of BRICS since 2024, have faced heightened tensions during the conflict. Iran has targeted US military bases in the Gulf, including locations in the UAE, adding another layer of complexity to negotiations over a common BRICS position. According to sources, Indian officials are holding separate discussions with representatives of Iran and the UAE in an effort to narrow their differences before the declaration is finalised. The objective is not simply to produce a statement, but to ensure that the Delhi Declaration remains a consensus document, with all 11 members agreeing to its key paragraphs. Major Leaders Expected in Delhi The summit is expected to bring together several prominent BRICS leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin attendance has been confirmed, while preparations are also underway for the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are also expected to attend. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, however, will not attend the gathering, having already travelled to New Delhi for the AI summit earlier this year. Brazil is expected to send a senior government representative instead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Putin and Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the summit. Delhi Plays Diplomatic Mediator For India, the negotiation present both a challenge and an opportunity. As host, New Delhi is attempting to prevent the West Asia conflict from overshadowing the wider BRICS agenda while ensuring that the grouping can present a united diplomatic position. A senior Indian official said efforts were focused on achieving consensus across the declaration and expressed optimism that the differences could be resolved. But with countries directly affected by the conflict sitting around the same table, finding language acceptable to everyone could prove more difficult than simply drafting another diplomatic statement. BRICS Unity Faces Its Diplomatic Test The Delhi summit comes at a sensitive moment for the expanded BRICS grouping. Its growing membership has increased its geopolitical weight, but it has also brought together countries with significantly different foreign-policy priorities and regional interests. The race to finalise the declaration therefore reflects a larger challenge for BRICS- how to project unity without ignoring the disagreements among its members. For the negotiators in Delhi, the task is straightforward on paper find common ground. In practice, with Washington and Tehran trading blows and Gulf tensions complicating the equation, the diplomatic search for consensus may be the hardest item on the summit agenda.