BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting Ends in Disagreement Over Key Issues

Advertisements During the foreign ministers'meeting, sharp differences were seen among the member countries, mainly on sensitive topics such as the situation in West Asia, the Palestine issue, and shipping safety in the Red Sea. At the heart of the standoff were Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Iran demanded strong language on the West Asia conflict, while some members, including the UAE, objected. Iran objected strongly to certain provisions related to Palestine and the Red Sea. As a result, India had to be satisfied with the presidential statement instead of the joint statement. Also Read - 72nd National Film Awards Ceremony to be Held in Gujarat, Not Delhi: Uddhav Takes a Dig at the Government; What Said? Only five traditional countries have now joined BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa - as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. The larger the size of this expanded forum, representing the world's largest population and economy, the harder it is to establish consensus on the complex matters of diplomacy. India's quest for a strategic balance of power within the BRICS grouping.