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EYE ON INDIA MAY 22, 2026 | The Indian Eye 8

BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in

New Delhi Reveals the Bloc’s Growing

Global Influence and Internal Divisions

The BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi highlighted both the growing influence of the bloc and
the deep internal contradictions that could shape its future in an increasingly fractured global order

OUR BUREAU
NEW DELHI

he BRICS Foreign Ministers’
Meeting in New Delhi was
Tmeant to showcase the growing
confidence of the expanded grouping
as a leading voice of the Global South.
Instead, it ended up revealing some-
thing far more complicated: BRICS is
simultaneously becoming more influ-
ential and more divided.
Over two days of discussions in the
Indian capital, foreign ministers and
senior representatives from BRICS
members and partner countries spoke
repeatedly about multipolarity, fair
global governance, economic cooper-
ation and resistance to protectionism.
The official language was optimistic,
ambitious and forward-looking. The
Chair’s Statement described BRICS
as “an important platform for dia-
logue, diplomacy and cooperation in External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar speaks during BRICS India 2026 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting session on ‘Reforms of Global Governance
advancing practical solutions to com- and Multilateral System’, in New Delhi on Friday. (@DrSJaishankar/ANI Photo)
mon challenges.”
Yet behind the carefully crafted
diplomatic language, the meeting also extraordinary stress. The Ukraine The Chair’s Statement reflected Agrawal highlighted the bloc’s grow-
exposed major tensions within the bloc war continues to divide major pow- this ambition clearly. Ministers not- ing economic importance by pointing
— tensions driven by wars, rival region- ers. The conflict involving Iran has ed that “current global challenges out that intra-BRICS merchandise
al ambitions, economic competition destabilised West Asia and disrupted are complex and interlinked” and trade had increased from USD 84
and conflicting geopolitical priorities. energy markets. Global supply chains agreed that developing countries billion in 2003 to USD 1.17 trillion in
The sharp public confrontation remain vulnerable. Protectionism is must strengthen efforts to promote 2024 — a thirteen-fold rise.
between Iran and the United Arab rising across advanced economies. “more just and equitable global gov- Yet he also acknowledged the
Emirates during the meeting became It is precisely this atmosphere ernance.” limitations. Intra-BRICS trade still
the clearest example of the contradic- of uncertainty that has strengthened This language has become cen- accounts for only around 5 per cent
tions BRICS now faces as it expands the appeal of BRICS for many devel- tral to BRICS diplomacy. The bloc of global trade, revealing both the
rapidly and attempts to transform it- oping countries. increasingly positions itself as a voice bloc’s current weakness and future
self from an economic grouping into a Originally formed by Brazil, for a multipolar world where power potential.
major geopolitical platform. Russia, India, China and South Af- is more widely distributed and where This duality — impressive
The New Delhi gathering there- rica, the bloc has evolved from an Western dominance over financial, growth but unrealised ambition —
fore offered a glimpse into the future economic acronym into a broad- political and strategic institutions is defines BRICS today.
of BRICS: a bloc with enormous po- er political coalition representing reduced. Economic Promise
tential but also one that may struggle emerging economies dissatisfied with India’s role as host was especial-
to maintain coherence as its member- Western-dominated institutions. Ex- ly significant because New Delhi has ne of the strongest themes
ship expands and global crises deepen. pansion has accelerated this transfor- sought to present BRICS as a practi- emerging from the New Del-
mation. Countries from West Asia, cal platform focused not only on po- Ohi meeting was economic re-
A Fragmented World Africa and Asia increasingly view litical rhetoric but also on economic silience.
he New Delhi meeting took BRICS as an alternative diplomatic cooperation, trade resilience and The BRICS countries are in-
place at a time when the in- space where developing nations can technological collaboration. creasingly trying to reduce depen-
Tternational system is under assert their interests more forcefully. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Continued on next page... >>

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