BRICS negotiators work late into evening to find consensus for ‘Delhi Declaration’

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Form L-R: Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the BRICS Business Forum 2026 on September 11, 2026. Photo: Special Arrangement

As New Delhi prepared to host the BRICS Summit of 11 emerging economies, negotiators were working late into the evening on Friday (September 11, 2026) to forge a consensus for the “Delhi Declaration”.

Diplomatic sources and officials said that all member countries had agreed to “almost all the text, with the exception of one paragraph”, indicating that the references to the war in Iran started by the U.S. and Israel, and Iran’s attacks on installations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other West Asian countries, had still not been resolved.

Both Iran and the UAE are members of the BRICS grouping and were inducted in 2024. Their tensions have held up a joint statement at all BRICS ministerial meetings this year, and at the crucial meeting of Foreign Ministers in mid-May, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar issued a “Chair’s Summary” instead.

“We continue to engage on [the] Outcome Document”, an official privy to the negotiations told The Hindu on Friday, while others said they remained hopeful of a breakthrough, as India was able to do in 2023 by forging a joint statement at the G-20 Summit after the Russian war in Ukraine had divided members.

In the current series of negotiations, Iran has been pitching for a clear condemnation of the U.S. and Israel’s actions, and the UAE wants “equal condemnation” of Iran’s actions, a diplomat told The Hindu . However, Iran has contested this in Sherpa meetings, insisting that it would be akin to Iran criticising itself. Tehran has contended that its attacks on the Gulf region were in “self-defence”, limited to U.S. military and ancillary installations, the sources said.

The top leaders of eight BRICS countries, including Russia, India, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Indonesia and Iran, will meet around the table at the Bharat Mandapam complex in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon for the first time since the Iran war began. Brazil heads to elections shortly, and President Lula da Silva will be represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, while UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MbZ), who is visiting Germany at present, will be represented by his son, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Saudi Arabia, which was granted BRICS membership in 2024 but has yet to join formally, has sent Foreign Minister Farhan bin Saud.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is understood to have stressed the importance of a joint statement from the BRICS coalition in each of his bilateral talks, including with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, as a strong ally of the Iranian government, has considerable sway with Tehran.

All eyes will also be on Mr. Modi’s meeting with the UAE Crown Prince on Saturday morning, before the joint session.