Archive · 13 Sep 2026
BRICS Leaders Unite on West Asia, Terrorism and Trade
Leaders from the BRICS group met in New Delhi for their summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in a large group photograph.
The leaders agreed on a document called the New Delhi Declaration 2026.
They said countries should stay calm and avoid making the fighting in West Asia worse.
They also said terrorism, terrorist financing and safe havens must be opposed.
The declaration mentioned the April 22, 2025, attack in Pahalgam.
BRICS leaders criticized tariffs and other trade restrictions imposed by individual countries.
They supported stronger international trade rules and a working World Trade Organization dispute system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the BRICS family photograph in New Delhi.
Leaders of the 11-member BRICS group unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 after foreign ministers failed to agree on a statement in May.
The declaration urged maximum restraint over escalating tensions in the Middle East and West Asia.
BRICS condemned terrorism, terrorist financing and safe havens, specifically citing the April 22, 2025, attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The bloc criticized unilateral tariffs, non-tariff measures and coercive sanctions while supporting restoration of the World Trade Organization dispute-settlement system.
- Who
- Leaders of the 11-member BRICS group, including Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Masoud Pezeshkian.
- What
- They adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 unanimously and addressed West Asian tensions, terrorism, trade restrictions and sanctions.
- When
- The family photograph was taken on Day 2 of the summit on Sunday, September 13, 2026; the declaration was adopted on Saturday.
- Where
- Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.
- Why
- The leaders sought a common position on regional conflict, terrorism, trade and global cooperation after earlier divisions among BRICS foreign ministers.
- Host country
- India, which is chairing BRICS in 2026.
- Summit theme
- Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
- Declaration
- The New Delhi Declaration 2026 was adopted unanimously.
- West Asia
- BRICS expressed deep concern about escalating tensions and urged maximum restraint.
- Terrorism
- The declaration condemned terrorism in all forms, including cross-border activity, financing and safe havens.
- Trade
- The bloc criticized unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures as inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules.
- WTO dispute settlement
- BRICS called for restoration of a fully operational, two-tier binding dispute-settlement mechanism, including Appellate Body appointments.
