Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who represents the United Arab Emirates, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The meeting is a diplomatic coup of sorts as the two sides have been at odds during the ongoing .
Iran’s official news agency IRNA released video footage of the meeting, but provided no details about the discussions between the two sides.
The two leaders discussed a number of regional and international issues, along with the importance of supporting , reducing tensions, and achieving stability in the region, as well as enhancing opportunities for peace and development for its peoples, according to people familiar with the developments.
The BRICS Summit, hosted by India as chair this year, came at a challenging moment for India, as the grouping navigates the fallout from the US-Iran war and the wider crisis in the .
For New Delhi, the challenge was to strike a delicate diplomatic balance. The expanded BRICS includes Iran as well as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, countries with differing interests and positions on the regional conflict in Middle East due to US-Iran war.
At the same time, India maintains important strategic and economic relationships with the .
On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration after the first day of the two-day summit hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam.
The declaration is seen as a significant diplomatic breakthrough as its leaders began summit hoping to bridge divisions between members Iran and the over the Gulf conflict, which is being held as the United States and Iran resume tit-for-tat strikes in their six-month-old war.
In its declaration, the BRICS bloc also called for the implementation of the relevant UNGA and UNSC Resolutions and urge all parties to ensure the maintenance of ceasefire and full and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip.
The joint declaration did not name any country but condemned unilateral aggression by any country. Both Iran and the UAE approved the New Delhi declaration.
During his address to the BRICS Summit the Iranian President had urged the BRICS forum to take practical measures to counter unilateral and inhumane sanctions. Pezeshkian said BRICS must be a voice for justice.
“BRICS members have a responsibility to stand against the normalization of attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities, because any action against these sites constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security. The issue of Palestine and upholding the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is a serious test of the credibility and legitimacy of global governance and requires BRICS to play an active role,” he said.
(With agency inputs)
