Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned that growing geopolitical tensions, disruptions to supply chains and climate-related crises are increasingly affecting people around the world, and called for stronger cooperation and support among countries of the Global South.
Addressing the BRICS summit on its second day in New Delhi, Modi also cautioned that the "weaponization of technology and critical minerals" could hamper global development and shared prosperity.
BRICS, founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, has expanded to 11 members, representing about half of the world's population and a significant portion of the global economy. The grouping has pushed for greater representation of developing countries in global institutions and promoted alternatives to Western-dominated financial systems.
"The number of conflicts and tensions in the world is continuously increasing, and this is having an increasingly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people," Modi said in the presence of bloc leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
"Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today's interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region," Modi said.
He also announced that BRICS members had agreed to establish an integrated early warning system for infectious diseases to strengthen preparedness for and responses to future outbreaks.
In a joint declaration issued Saturday, the group expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and Sudan and called for disputes to be settled through dialogue and diplomacy.
The bloc reaffirmed its support for a multipolar world order and called for reforms to the United Nations, including its Security Council, as well as international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
BRICS leaders opposed unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures and criticized sanctions that have not been authorized by the United Nations. They also criticized increasing tariffs and nontariff barriers, saying such measures undermine global trade and supply chains.
The bloc supported greater use of local currencies in trade and stronger cross-border payment systems, while also calling for cooperation in food security, energy, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and climate action.
The joint declaration marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough, as reaching consensus among Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — which have competing positions on major regional and geopolitical issues — posed a complex challenge amid ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions.
SM/CitizenTimes
