NEW DELHI (AP) 鈥� Foreign ministers from the began a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Thursday as the expanding bloc faces divisions over , rising energy prices and growing global economic uncertainty.
The meeting brings together diplomats from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa along with newer member countries. It comes as the war in Iran has disrupted global energy supplies and driven up oil prices and coincides with with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russia鈥檚 top diplomat Sergey Lavrov are attending. China is represented by Ambassador Xu Feihong while Foreign Minister Wang Yi remains in the Chinese capital during Trump鈥檚 visit.
India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the talks would focus on global and regional challenges and ways to deepen cooperation among member nations.
In opening remarks, Jaishankar said BRICS could help developing countries more effectively respond to the health and financing challenges they face as well as high prices for energy, food and fertilizer.
鈥淲e meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations,鈥� he said, adding that emerging and developing countries increasingly expect BRICS to play a 鈥渃onstructive and stabilizing role.鈥�
Iran urges BRICS to condemn U.S. and Israel
At the meeting, Araghchi urged BRICS nations to condemn the U.S. and Israel over what he called their 鈥渦nlawful aggression鈥� against Tehran. He called on the bloc members and other countries to 鈥渢ake practical steps to stop warmongering鈥� and end what he described as impunity for violations of the U.N. Charter.
Araghchi also urged the bloc members to stop what he called the politicization of international institutions. He said Iran appreciated the support shown by BRICS countries but called for stronger action.
鈥淚t is necessary for all of us to intensify our efforts to end this sense of superiority and impunity on the part of the United States 鈥� a notion that has no place in today鈥檚 world,鈥� he said.
BRICS has sought to expand its influence
Founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was formed as a grouping of major emerging economies seen as a counterbalance to Western-led institutions such as the G7. South Africa joined in 2010 and the bloc expanded further in 2024 with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in 2025.
The group has sought to expand its influence by pushing for a bigger role in a global order long dominated by the United States and its Western allies. It has gained support across parts of the Global South, where many countries have criticized Western-led financial institutions.
But BRICS nations remain divided on key issues.
India and China continue to compete for regional influence, while member countries often differ in their ties with the West. has further exposed those differences.
New divisions test global ambitions
The bloc鈥檚 expansion also has added strains. Competing regional interests have increased the difficulty of presenting a unified position.
Divisions have sharpened further during the growing conflict in the Middle East. Iran and the UAE are BRICS members despite pursuing competing interests in the region.
Iran鈥檚 deputy foreign minister said Wednesday that disagreements within BRICS over the conflict had prevented the bloc from reaching a unified position.
Kazem Gharibabadi told news agency Press Trust of India that 鈥渙ne member country鈥� had pushed for language condemning Iran, complicating efforts to build consensus within the grouping.
鈥淲e want India鈥檚 BRICS chairship to be successful. It is not a good approach to send a signal to the world that the BRICS is divided. One country is insisting on condemning Iran,鈥� Gharibabadi said.
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Associated Press journalist Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran contributed to this report.
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