New Delhi, May 14 -- India stood at the centre of global diplomacy on Thursday as New Delhi hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raising grave concerns over the West Asia crisis, mounting economic uncertainty, and the damaging effects of unilateral sanctions on developing nations, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and reiterated India's consistent commitment to dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The two-day conclave, convened under India's chairmanship of the influential bloc, drew senior diplomats from across the BRICS grouping, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, and South Africa's Minister for International Relations Ronald Lamola. The visiting dignitaries made a joint call on Prime Minister Modi, who also met Lavrov separately ahead of the opening session.
In a post on X after meeting Lavrov, Modi said he was "pleased to receive Russia's Foreign Minister" and expressed thanks for an update on the progress of India and Russia's Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. "We also exchanged views on various regional and global issues, including situation in Ukraine and West Asia. Reiterated our consistent support for efforts aimed at peaceful Resolution of conflicts," he wrote. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Lavrov briefed Modi on developments in bilateral cooperation since their leaders last met at the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit in December 2025. Modi asked Lavrov to convey his warm greetings to President Vladimir Putin.
It was at the ministerial sessions, however, that India's concerns about the deteriorating global order were stated most directly. Opening the conclave, Jaishankar told fellow foreign ministers that the world is not witnessing a set of isolated crises but rather "a convergence of challenges testing the resilience of multilateral systems." The situation in West Asia, he said, merits particular attention. "Continuing tensions, risks to maritime traffic, and disruptions to energy infrastructure highlight the fragility of the situation," he said, stressing the importance of safe and unimpeded maritime flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, which he described as vital for global economic wellbeing.
The conflict in Gaza drew sharp remarks from Jaishankar, who cited its "grave humanitarian implications" and called for a sustained ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a credible pathway toward durable peace. "India supports a two-state solution where the Palestine issue is concerned," he said. He also flagged concerns over Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and Libya, calling for sustained international engagement and coordinated diplomatic action on each.
The minister did not confine his remarks to active conflicts. He offered a broader warning about what he described as the cumulative toll on the developing world. "Stability cannot be selective, and peace cannot be piecemeal," he said, noting that the combined pressures on energy, food and fertiliser security, supply chain disruptions, inflationary trends, and constrained growth prospects are hitting emerging markets and developing nations hardest.
On the question of unilateral coercive measures, Jaishankar was pointed in his criticism, declining to name specific nations while making the target of his remarks unmistakable. "Such measures disproportionately affect developing countries. These unjustifiable measures cannot substitute dialogue, nor can pressure replace diplomacy," he said, adding that the resort to sanctions inconsistent with international law and the UN Charter represents an escalating problem that BRICS must collectively address.
India's readiness to play a constructive role was placed on record. "India stands ready to contribute constructively to de-escalation efforts and to support initiatives aimed at restoring stability," Jaishankar said, while framing India's position around a set of principles: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, protection of civilians, adherence to international law, and avoidance of targeting public infrastructure. "Dialogue and diplomacy are the only means to resolve disputes," he said.
The conclave was not without its own internal tensions. It is learnt that heated exchanges broke out between Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during one of the two sessions, with Lavrov stepping in to cool tensions. Iran and the UAE have been locked in a public dispute over Iran's alleged attacks on Emirati energy infrastructure, a standoff that has prevented BRICS from producing a consensus statement on the West Asia crisis.
In his own remarks to the gathering, Araghchi described Iran as a victim of "illegal expansionism and warmongering," calling on BRICS members and the broader international community to "explicitly condemn violations of international law by the United States and Israel, including their illegal aggression against Iran." He urged the bloc to resist what he characterised as Western hegemony. Jaishankar, in what appeared to be a response to the friction between newer members, noted that it is "essential for the smooth advancement of BRICS that later members fully appreciate and subscribe to the BRICS' consensus on various important issues."
The grouping, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025. The expanded bloc now represents approximately 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 percent of global GDP, and roughly 26 per cent of global trade.
Jaishankar also used the platform to call for reform of the United Nations Security Council. "With each passing day, the case for reformed multilateralism only gets stronger. This includes the reform of the UN Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories. Continued delay comes at a high cost," he said. He additionally flagged the need to bridge the digital divide, warning that technological advancements raise concerns about trust, transparency, and equitable access, and said climate action must go hand in hand with climate justice, backed by credible commitments and accessible financing.
On terrorism, Jaishankar maintained that there can be no justification for it in any form. "Cross-border terrorism violates the basic principles of international relations. Zero tolerance must remain an uncompromising and universal norm," he said.
The foreign ministers' meeting is being held ahead of the BRICS annual summit, scheduled in India for September.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.