India scores Brics win with joint declaration despite divides

India scored a diplomatic win at the latest Brics summit, analysts have said, after steering an increasingly unwieldy bloc towards a joint declaration despite deep divisions over geopolitical conflicts and the global order.

Observers said New Delhi achieved “pragmatic consolidation” by avoiding forcing members to assign blame for contentious geopolitical issues, keeping the focus on trade, technology and greater representation for the Global South.

That compromise came at a cost, however, with analysts noting that differences over the Middle East and other regional conflicts were merely “papered over”.

During the 18th Brics summit held in Delhi over the weekend, leaders from the expanded 11-member bloc addressed international conflicts, trade disputes and economic governance before adopting a unified joint declaration.