'Talks till 4am': How India got rivals Iran, Saudi Arabia & UAE to sign off on Brics joint statement

The successful negotiations also highlighted the challenge of managing a forum that now brings together countries with substantially different geopolitical positions.

In a major diplomatic breakthrough, India secured consensus on the Brics Joint Statement after intense negotiations. The consensus came after discussions continued until around 4am on Saturday.The breakthrough assumes particular significance as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, countries with deep differences and competing positions on several regional and geopolitical issues — are all part of the grouping. Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, India led sustained consultations to bridge competing positions and ensure that the differences did not derail the joint statement.Government sources told TOI that the talks involved “differences on several contentious issues” and that India led sustained consultations to bridge competing positions and ensure that the disagreements did not derail the joint declaration."The negotiations saw differences on several contentious issues. India led sustained consultations to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members.

The breakthrough assumes particular significance given that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are all part of the same forum, despite deep differences and competing positions on several regional and geopolitical issues," govt sources told TOI.India worked to reconcile the divergent positions and build a consensus that could be accepted by all members. The eventual agreement on the joint statement followed hours of negotiations and consultations, underscoring the complexity of the discussions.The breakthrough came as leaders gathered in New Delhi for the 18th Brics Summit, with India seeking to use its presidency to strengthen cooperation among an increasingly diverse grouping.The successful negotiations also highlighted the challenge of managing a forum that now brings together countries with substantially different geopolitical positions. India’s effort to keep the Brics process focused on areas of common ground helped prevent disagreements over contentious issues from blocking the joint statement.India is hosting the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, with several prominent world leaders and senior officials attending.Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are among the key leaders joining PM Modi at the summit. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are also scheduled to attend.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira are among other participants. Uganda Vice President Jessica Alupo, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev are also present.