The escalating crisis in West Asia and its profound impact on the global energy supply chain are set to dominate discussions at a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers, hosted by India this week.
Tehran has communicated to New Delhi that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to attend the May 14-15 conclave. However, sources indicate that his plans could be subject to change should the regional situation undergo dramatic shifts.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will not be present at the meeting, as his presence is required in Beijing for US President Donald Trump’s three-day state visit, which coincides with the BRICS gathering. Beijing announced on Tuesday that Chinese Ambassador to India, Xi Feihong, will attend the meeting on Wang’s behalf.
Foreign ministers from several BRICS member states, including Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, have already confirmed their participation, according to sources. The BRICS foreign ministers are also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India, holding the current BRICS chairmanship, is hosting this foreign ministers’ conclave in preparation for the grouping’s annual summit in September. A key point of interest will be whether the ministerial meeting can achieve a consensus statement on the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Efforts by India to forge a unified stance on the conflict were previously stalled last month during a meeting of the grouping’s deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on the Middle East and North Africa. This was largely due to sharp differences among member states over the US-Israel war on Iran.
A consensus statement on the conflict proved elusive, primarily because of disagreements between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran. The two neighboring countries have recently engaged in disputes concerning Iran’s alleged attacks on energy infrastructure within the UAE.
Following the escalation of the West Asia conflict, Iran urged India, in its capacity as the current BRICS chair, to leverage its “independent role” to bring an end to the US-Israel hostilities against Iran.
The BRICS meeting will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday that “BRICS foreign ministers and heads of delegation from member and partner countries will participate in the meeting. They will also call on Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.”
The MEA further noted that the foreign ministers will exchange views on “global and regional issues of mutual interest.” On May 15, BRICS member and partner countries will engage in a session themed “BRICS@20: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” This will be followed by a session on the “Reforms of Global Governance and Multilateral System.”
The last meeting of BRICS foreign ministers took place in September last year, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80). That meeting was chaired by India as the incoming BRICS chair for 2026.
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