Xi Jinping Departs India After BRICS Summit, Bilateral Talks With PM Modi

A panel discussion evaluates the New Delhi Declaration and the strategic outcomes of the BRICS summit, analysing the grouping's role as a catalyst for reformed multilateralism and an alternative platform for non-Western nations seeking strategic autonomy. The discussion addresses global geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges, including the weaponisation of economic interdependence, unilateral coercive measures, tariffs, sanctions, and export restrictions affecting international trade and World Trade Organization norms. Experts also assess India's diplomatic engagement with China and global governance reforms, alongside escalating tensions in West Asia involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. The geopolitical significance of maritime choke points, including the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal, is reviewed in relation to global trade disruption, energy security, and regional stability ahead of key diplomatic dialogues involving the Gulf Cooperation Council nations in Muscat.

A panel discussion featuring foreign policy and strategic affairs experts examines regional developments in West Asia following bilateral talks between the Iranian President and the UAE leadership on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. The analysis focuses on navigating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, maritime shipping routes, and an upcoming meeting among GCC nations in Muscat, Oman, to address the ongoing crisis. Experts evaluate the broader economic impact of soaring oil prices and supply disruptions on developing economies, including foreign exchange pressures and rising debt. The conversation highlights diplomatic efforts, potential mediation by BRICS members like China, and the strategic positioning required to address security concerns involving regional actors and shipping channels in the region.

The BRICS summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, focusing on economic cooperation, resilience, innovation, and sustainability while balancing the interests of an expanded membership. The declaration highlights concerns over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures that distort international commerce and run contrary to multilateral trading rules. It further addresses counter-terrorism priorities, emphasising zero tolerance and the rejection of double standards following cross-border terror attacks. The framework aims to maintain developing nations' policy autonomy amid global geopolitical turbulence without positioning the bloc as an antagonistic entity against the West. In addition to multilateral consensus on international trade and security, the summit facilitated sideline engagements between regional powers, including bilateral discussions between Iranian and United Arab Emirates leadership aimed at addressing regional stability and the continuity of trade and energy corridors across strategic maritime routes.

On day two of the 18th BRICS Summit, the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration marked a significant diplomatic milestone for India. During the opening session titled 'Innovation, Cooperation, Resilience', Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised inclusivity, a humanity-first approach, and an alternative global architecture spanning space to undersea cooperation. Analysts and experts highlighted the 140-point declaration as a breakthrough reflecting an independent voice for BRICS amid evolving geopolitical realities and questioning of legacy institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, the World Bank, and the IMF. Discussions also noted key sideline engagements brokered in New Delhi, including interactions between Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Crown Prince of the UAE. The summit underscored India's sustained push for multipolarity, reform in global decision-making bodies, and enhanced collaboration among member nations and dialogue partners.