West Asia war to cast shadow on Brics meet

DIfferences betwixt the United arabian Emirates (UAE) and persia o'er the due west Asia conflict are shaping up to be a major challenge for the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting to be hosted by India this week, people familiar with the matter said.Iran and the UAE have sparred several times in recent weeks over the targeting of oil production facilities and energy infrastructure in the Emirates by Iranian drones and missiles, and the differences over the conflict even prevented the adoption of a joint statement at a meeting of senior Brics officials on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region held during April 23- 24, the people added.Another divisive issue that has emerged in recent weeks is opposition from virtually all Brics member states, including Brazil, China, Egypt, Russia and South Africa, to any toning down of the language to refer to the situation in Palestine, diplomats of several countries said on condition of anonymity.The Indian side has found itself in a challenging position on both these issues, given the need to keep all Brics members on board to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming foreign ministers meeting, scheduled for May 14-15, and to produce a joint statement that will set the stage for the Brics Summit to be held in September.The UAE has continued to criticise what it describes as “blatant Iranian aggression”, with an Emirati defence ministry release on May 10 saying the country has engaged 2,265 Iranian drones and 551 missiles. After three Indians were injured in an Iranian attack on the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone in the UAE on May 4, the Indian side condemned such targeting of civilians and infrastructure and said it stands in “firm solidarity” with the UAE.“The need of the hour is to build bridges. The deliberations at the meeting of Brics officials dealing with the MENA region have always fed into the meeting of the foreign ministers, which itself is crucial for preparations for the Brics Summit,” a diplomat from a Brics member state said.“A joint statement at the foreign ministers’ meeting is doable, but it will require some deft diplomacy,” this person added.Several Brics member states, including Brazil, China and South Africa, have opposed changes to language that has already been used to refer to the issue of Palestine in joint statements adopted at previous Brics Summits in Russia (2024) and Brazil (2025), the people said.The joint statements at these two summits had reiterated the call for a two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel. The joint statement at last year’s summit in Rio de Janeiro also sought the “full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip” and other parts of “occupied Palestinian territory”.“This language has already been accepted at past Brics summits and any effort to change it or tone it down will affect consensus at the upcoming meetings,” a second diplomat said.The Indian side has acknowledged that the “sharp difference of positions” among Brics members that are party to the West Asia conflict held up a consensus document at the meeting of senior officials on the MENA region last month, and also said that the stance taken by New Delhi on the Palestine issue is in line with the position adopted at a meeting of foreign ministers of India and the Arab League on January 26, when there was a reiteration of the support for a two-state solution.There is a question mark over Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi participating in the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting, given that its dates coincide with US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, however, are set to participate in the meeting, the people said. Araghchi will also hold several bilateral meetings in New Delhi, they said.