BRICS leaders meet in India as wars and US tensions test the bloc

NEW DELHI (AP) — Leaders of the BRICS nations were meeting in New Delhi on Saturday for a summit focused on trade, investment and global conflicts, as the bloc seeks a bigger role in shaping the global agenda for emerging and developing countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and counterparts from the other eight BRICS members. The summit comes as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with rising U.S.-China tensions, test the bloc’s ability to find common ground among countries with competing geopolitical interests.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed around the summit venue and other parts of New Delhi, with traffic restrictions and diversions in place.

BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. It has since expanded to 11 members, representing about half the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. The group has increasingly called for greater representation for developing countries in global institutions.

The leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, energy, food security, technology, supply chains and reforms to global institutions. Reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar will also be a priority, with members promoting greater use of their own currencies in trade and payments as well as pushing for alternatives to Western-dominated financial institutions.

For India, the summit highlights its effort to maintain strategic ties with Russia and Iran while deepening relations with the U.S. and Europe. New Delhi has sought to balance its longstanding partnerships with Moscow and Tehran with efforts to expand economic, defense and technology ties with Washington and other Western nations.

India has maintained close ties with both Moscow and Tehran despite the war in Ukraine and tensions between Iran and the U.S., while calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. Modi met Putin and Pezeshkian separately in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the summit.

The summit comes as Iran, a member of the expanded BRICS group, is directly involved in the war in the Middle East, putting the bloc’s unity under pressure as its members navigate differing positions on the conflict and relations with the U.S.

A key test for India will be whether it can secure a joint statement from leaders at the summit. Those divisions were evident in May, when BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement over the Iran war, forcing India to issue a chair’s summary instead.