Foreign ministers from BRICS countries began a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Thursday as the expanded bloc grapples with divisions over the Iran war, rising oil prices and wider global economic uncertainty.
The meeting brings together top diplomats from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with newly added member states. It comes at a time when the conflict in Iran has disrupted global energy supplies and pushed up oil prices, while also coinciding with U.S. President Donald Trump’s talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are attending the discussions. China is represented by its ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi remains in Beijing during Trump’s visit.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the talks would focus on global and regional challenges, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation among member countries.
Opening the meeting, Jaishankar said BRICS could play a stronger role in helping developing countries deal with rising pressures, including high energy, food and fertilizer prices, along with health and financial challenges.
He said the global situation is going through “considerable flux” and added that emerging economies increasingly expect BRICS to act as a “constructive and stabilizing force.”
Originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was created as a platform of major emerging economies seen as an alternative to Western-led institutions like the G7. South Africa joined in 2010, and the bloc expanded further in 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in 2025.
The grouping has tried to expand its global influence and push for a greater voice for developing countries in international decision-making. It has also gained support in parts of the Global South, where many countries have criticized Western-dominated financial systems.
However, internal divisions remain a major challenge.
India and China continue to compete for regional influence, while member states often differ in their foreign policy alignments with the West. Russia’s war in Ukraine has also exposed deep differences within the bloc.
The expansion of BRICS has further complicated consensus-building, as countries with competing regional interests now sit at the same table.
Tensions have become more visible amid the Middle East conflict. Iran and the United Arab Emirates are both BRICS members despite holding opposing positions in regional disputes.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday that internal disagreements over the conflict had prevented the bloc from issuing a unified position.
Kazem Gharibabadi told the Press Trust of India that one member country had pushed for language condemning Iran, making consensus difficult.
“We want India’s BRICS chairship to be successful. It is not a good approach to send a signal to the world that BRICS is divided. One country is insisting on condemning Iran,” he said.