The foreign ministers of the countries of the expanded BRICS group, initially created by Brazil, Russia, India and China, pledged to strengthen multilateralism and promote peace amid intensifying global conflicts and increasing economic turbulence due to U.S. trade policies.
At the opening of the meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said the bloc must serve as “a force for good” in the increasingly fragmented world.
"The road to peace is neither easy nor straight," Vieira said. "BRICS should set an example by reaffirming our belief in a multipolar world where security is not everyone's right, no minority is a privilege," he added.
With the group's recent expansion, Vieira highlighted its extended role, reaching 11 full members, representing about half of the world's population and about 40 percent of global GDP.
“With its geographical and cultural diversity, the BRICS is in a unique position to promote dialogue, development and stability,” he said.
The summit took place at a time when trust in international institutions was decreasing and armed conflicts were spreading due to the aggressive trade measures applied under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.
BRICS ministers were negotiating on a joint statement criticizing trade-related “unilateral measures” and reaffirming the central role of multilateral negotiations that the leading emerging markets bloc had long advocated.
Although China has reportedly pressing for the use of harsher language in response to the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, up to 145%, a source told the South China Morning Post that in the final statement this move would be criticized but “not a conflicting style.”
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Brazilian authorities are expected to focus on encouraging trade with local currencies to reduce dependence on the US dollar by shelving their single-currency plans.
Before the summit, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the BRICS as a new “cooperation backbone” for the Global South.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun in Beijing on Wednesday said China would work to establish a "more comprehensive" partnership with BRICS members, promote multilateralism and support "justice and equality" in the global order.
“The BRICS cooperation mechanism emerged during the collective rise of the global South and meets the expectations of the international community to maintain world peace, promote common development and improve global governance,” Guo said.
At Monday's meeting, Vieira condemned the violence in Gaza, describing Israel's military operations as "destructive" and calling for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of hostages and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
Brazil's top diplomat on Ukraine called for a "diplomatic solution based on the principles of the UN Charter".
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov met during the summit and promised to strengthen cooperation through the BRICS to accelerate the reshaping of the global order.
Wang praised the “unity and cooperation” of BRICS members and said the group would contribute to the construction of a “more just and rational global governance system.”
Lavrov joined the view, saying that China, Russia, other BRICS members and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are “active participants in this transformation and are at the forefront of the justice and equality movement.”
In addition, climate funding was one of the focal points of Monday's talks. Brazil rejected attempts to shift financial obligations to developing countries, stressing that rich countries should fulfill the responsibility of financing climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
The day began with the arrival of the authorities to the Itamaraty Palace, the historic foreign ministry building in Rio, Brazil.
While Russia and China sent their top diplomats, the absence of one person drew attention: Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar did not attend the meeting.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is evaluating how to respond to the armed terrorist attack in Indian-ruled Kashmir on April 22, in which more than 25 people died.
India blamed Pakistan for the incident and announced that it would give an "appropriate response". Instead of Jaishankar, New Delhi was represented by BRICS sherpa Dammu Ravi.
China, Pakistan's close ally and a founding member of the BRICS, called for a neutral investigation, calling on South Asian countries to reduce tensions.
Farwa Aamer of Asia Society, a US-based non-profit organization, suggested that there could be both practical and strategic reasons for Jaishankar's non-attendance of the BRICS meeting.
Aamer stated that his stay in place after the Kashmir attack could be a factor, adding that "part of this may be to convey the seriousness of the issue from India's point of view to other BRICS members and the international community, especially to China, which has recently supported Pakistan."
Tensions between India and China have long complicated the BRICS dynamics, and there are concerns that bilateral issues could spill over to the bloc's agenda.
Still, Aamer said that it was "an interest in the group to act in as much harmony as possible" and that this was largely the 17th to be held in Rio in July. The BRICS said it will be committed to the leaders summit.
BRICS ministers will continue bilateral consultations until Tuesday, and the results are expected to shape the discussions in July.