EAM S Jaishankar on Monday hailed the successful conclusion of the BRICS India Summit 2026, describing it as a demonstration of the strong convening power of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s India. He emphasised that the gathering showed consensus could be achieved even in a deeply polarised world.

Jaishankar highlighted that 32 delegations participated in the summit. These included representatives from 11 member states, 10 partner countries, four regional organisations and seven international organisations.

He noted that most participating countries were represented at the highest level. Among the prominent attendees were Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

He stressed that the first point to note was the strong convening power of Modi’s India, with most delegations represented at the head of state or head of government level.

Jaishankar also underlined the participation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other international organisation heads. He said the summit provided an opportunity for leaders to engage in very open and comfortable conversations.

He pointed out that the summit was held against the backdrop of a very polarised world marked by major conflicts and deep divisions. Despite this, India succeeded in facilitating consensus on some of the most difficult issues.

He explained that even in the midst of polarisation, consensus was forged, particularly in relation to the West Asia conflict.

Jaishankar said BRICS leaders agreed on the need for peace, security, stability and long-term understanding. They emphasised the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, along with the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

He stated that the summit’s agenda remained focused on economy, development and technology, with a strong emphasis on standing up for the Global South.

He reiterated that the agenda was focused on the economy, development and technology, and that standing up for the Global South was a very strong message that emerged.

Jaishankar said the two key sessions of the summit — focused on reform and resilience — acted as uniting themes that helped countries come together despite differences.

He also highlighted the consensus achieved on terrorism. He said BRICS made clear that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations was unacceptable.

He referred to the New Delhi Declaration’s strong condemnation of the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. The declaration called for zero tolerance towards terrorism and rejected double standards in countering the menace.

Jaishankar stressed that BRICS was very clear that any act of terrorism is criminal. He noted that the declaration explicitly recognised the unacceptability of the Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025.

He added that the declaration condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, and called for accountability of those involved in terrorist activities and their supporters.

Concluding his remarks, Jaishankar said the summit reflected Prime Minister Modi’s message of dialogue, diplomacy and development.

He remarked that many people had said it would not happen, but it did happen. It happened in New Delhi, and it happened under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.

ANI