Overview

• BRICS foreign ministers, meeting in New York and chaired by India, warned against a proliferation of trade‑restrictive actions and coercive measures that they said threaten global supply chains and risk marginalising the Global South.
• The ministers reaffirmed support for a non‑discriminatory, open and rules‑based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and cautioned that unilateral tariffs and non‑tariff barriers distort trade.
• The joint statement extended full support to India’s 2026 BRICS chairship and the XVIII BRICS Summit in India, underscoring the bloc’s cohesion following its recent expansion.
• The communiqué condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, reiterated zero tolerance for terrorism, and pledged action against financing, cross‑border movement and safe havens.
• Jaishankar said BRICS must defend multilateralism and highlighted priorities for India’s chairship—food and energy security, climate action and digital‑led development—while parallel IBSA and India‑CELAC meetings echoed calls for UN Security Council reform and broader cooperation.