New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of dialogue, diplomacy and development resonated around the world, and the response was evident in the participation of world leaders at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar spotlighted on Monday.
EAM Jaishankar mentioned that the whole nation and world witnessed the success of the two-day BRICS India Summit 2026 which concluded at New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on Sunday and saw participation of 32 delegations, including representatives from 11 member states, 10 partner countries, four regional organisations and seven international organisations.
He highlighted the “strong convening power” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s India as most of the participating countries were represented at the level of Heads of State or Government.
“We had President Vladimir Putin, President Xi Jinping of China, President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, the President of Iran, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, the Crown Prince of the UAE, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, among others.
“We also had the UN Secretary-General, along with heads of the WTO, WHO and other international organisations. As you would have seen from the footage and coverage of the summit, there was also a strong sense of personal rapport between these leaders and Prime Minister Modi,” he stated.
That this major summit was taking place in a highly polarised world, with two major conflicts and deep differences in positions, interests and perspectives, is important to recognise, the EAM detailed.
“Yet, even amid this polarisation, we were able to forge consensus. If we look at the toughest issue of the day, which was the West Asia and Middle East conflict, we were able to agree on a statement calling for peace, security, stability and long-term understanding. It also called for the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, as well as the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said EAM Jaishankar.
“But it was not just about negotiating an understanding in a polarised world. The entire atmosphere, ethos and mood of the summit were also marked by open and comfortable conversations. Leaders who perhaps would not have met under other circumstances were able to meet during the summit. The result was that the summit contributed significantly to the global conversation on some of the most important issues facing the world today,” he added.
Beyond that, EAM Jaishankar stated, the summit had its own “substantive agenda”, focused on the economy, development, technology for the Global South and strengthening the voice of the Global South which was a “very strong message” that emerged from the summit.
In a major diplomatic triumph, India successfully aligned diverse interests as the BRICS nations reached consensus and adopted the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ on the very first day of the summit despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions among various countries.
EAM Jaishankar said that the two key unifying themes were reform and resilience where countries tended to come together and that was one of the reasons India was able to achieve consensus.
“I would also like to highlight one particularly noteworthy area of consensus: terrorism. BRICS was very clear that any act of terrorism is criminal. The members explicitly recognised the unacceptability of the Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025. They condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, emphasised zero tolerance for terrorism and rejected double standards in countering it.
“Overall, I would say that this summit was very much a reflection of Prime Minister Modi’s message of dialogue, diplomacy and development. I think that message resonated around the world, and the response was evident in the participation of world leaders at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi,” he stated.
The EAM concluded his thoughts on Summit by saying: “Many people said it would not happen. It did happen. It happened in New Delhi, and it happened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.
(IANS)
