At BRICS summit, China, Russia and India urge ‘maximum restraint’ in Middle East

The BRICS group of nations unanimously adopted a joint declaration on Saturday, expressing “deep concern” over the war ⁠in the Middle East and urging maximum restraint, advocating for a “multilateral approach” that respects national viewpoints. The declaration, adopted on the first day of the BRICS leaders’ annual ⁠summit in New ​Delhi, ⁠comes at a time when the U.S. and Iran have resumed tit-for-tat strikes against each ⁠other, after a pause in fighting for much ​of ⁠August. The BRICS bloc includes ‌both Iran and the Washington-aligned United Arab Emirates, which was expected to make clinching a joint statement ‌consensus a particularly challenging task ‌for host India. “We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East...call for exercising maximum restraint...avoiding ⁠actions that could further aggravate the situation,” the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ said. The declaration also reiterated the commitment of member nations to a peaceful resolution of international disputes “through dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy”. In addition, they voiced concerns about the rise of “unilateral tariff ‌and non-tariff measures” that distort trade, against the ​backdrop of U.S. sanctions against ‌Tehran amid its war with ⁠the country, and against Russia over its ⁠conflict with Ukraine. China urges peacemaker role Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the BRICS bloc to be a peacemaker in the ⁠Middle East conflict, in an address to a summit of member countries in New Delhi on Saturday. China will work with other ⁠BRICS members in ​that ⁠role, as the war “does not serve the common interests of the international ⁠community,” state-run CCTV quoted Xi as ​saying. BRICS ⁠groups Brazil, Russia, ‌India, China and South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab ‌Emirates. It was set up ‌in 2009 to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its ⁠Western allies. Together, its members account for more than 40% of the world’s population and almost a quarter of the global economy. The Chinese leader called the bloc a “leading group” in the Global South ‌and a model of self-reliance ​among emerging and developing countries ‌that should promote ⁠innovation-driven development. China-India ties The visit for the summit is Xi’s first to India in seven years and comes as the Asian ⁠neighbours cautiously rebuild ties ​that ⁠were badly damaged after a military clash on their disputed Himalayan border in 2020 ⁠in which 20 Indian and four Chinese ​soldiers ⁠were killed. The Xi-Modi meeting, scheduled ‌for Saturday evening, will be their third in three years, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Friday. China “is ⁠willing” to work together with India, to view two-way relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, properly manage differences, and be “good neighbours and friends, as well as mutually supportive partners,” the spokesperson said.