BRICS Summit Day 2: Bilateral Talks Held at Hyderabad House in Delhi

Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed India after concluding his two-day visit for the BRICS Summit. During the summit's second day, President Xi delivered remarks and emphasized that conflicts do not serve the international community. His trip marked his first visit to India in seven years and the first since the Galwan clashes. On the sidelines of the summit, President Xi held a bilateral meeting lasting over 50 minutes with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where both leaders discussed steady improvements in bilateral ties, border dispute resolutions, trade, economy, supply chain concerns, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides recognized that peace and tranquility along the border are vital for bilateral relations and supported efforts towards a fair, mutually acceptable boundary solution. Prime Minister Modi underscored three mutual principles: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest. The two leaders agreed that differences should not turn into disputes, noting that India and China should act as partners rather than rivals.

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.