Iran-UAE differences blocked joint statement at Delhi meet of Brics officials

AGet together of senior officials of the Brics pigeonholing hosted by bharat endure hebdomad couldn’t come out with a consensus document because of sharp differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the West Asia conflict, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.The meeting of deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) of Brics member states, was held in New Delhi on April 23-24 in the run-up to a gathering of foreign ministers to be held next month. The meeting focused on the current situation in West Asia, which India describes as its extended neighbourhood, in the context of the conflict triggered by Israel and the US’s attacks on Iran.The Brics meeting of senior officials “could not produce a consensus document because there was a sharp difference of positions among members who are party to the conflict”, one of the people said. Iran and the UAE could not bridge their differences on the conflict, with both countries calling for condemnation of the attacks on their territory, the people said.These differences have also hindered efforts to issue a Brics statement on the Iran-US conflict.“Efforts to bridge the gaps by all other member states were not successful,” the person cited above said.The people further said that India’s stance ⁠on the Palestine issue at the Brics meeting last week was in line with the position adopted at a meeting of the foreign ministers of India and the Arab League on January 26, when New Delhi reiterated its support for a two-state solution.The people noted that many Brics member states had supported or attended the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh in October 2025 and the UN Security Council resolution 2803, which endorses the US-backed “comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict”, and said these were among notable developments in West Asia in the past year.The meeting of Brics deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on April 24 concluded with India issuing a chair’s statement, as there was no consensus on an outcome document. The members of the grouping expressed “deep concern” about the conflict in the Middle East, and the discussions covered the Palestine issue and the Gaza situation, including the provision of humanitarian aid, the role of UNRWA, and a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism.The meeting also welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, stressed the unacceptability of attacks on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and discussed post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation in Syria; a political settlement in Yemen; stability and development in Iraq; the political process in Libya; and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.The members agreed to meet again under China’s chairship in 2027.