NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned that geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and climate-related crises are posing growing risks to global stability, calling on BRICS members to deepen cooperation and strengthen support for developing countries.
Speaking on the second day of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Modi said the effects of conflicts and other crises were increasingly reaching ordinary people across regions.
He also cautioned that the use of technology and critical minerals as instruments of geopolitical pressure could hinder economic development and shared prosperity.
“The number of conflicts and tensions in the world is continuously increasing, and this is having an increasingly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people,” Modi said during the summit.
The Indian prime minister pointed to the interconnected nature of the global economy, arguing that major disruptions can quickly spread beyond the countries where they originate.
“Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region,” he said.
Modi announced that BRICS members had agreed to establish an integrated early warning system for infectious diseases. The proposed mechanism is intended to strengthen preparedness and improve the bloc’s ability to respond to future outbreaks.
The development was among several areas of cooperation discussed during the two-day summit, which brought together leaders of the expanded grouping of emerging economies.
BRICS was established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining four years later. The group has since expanded to 11 members and represents about half of the world’s population, while accounting for a significant share of global economic activity.
The bloc has sought greater representation for developing countries in international institutions and has promoted alternatives to financial structures traditionally dominated by Western powers.
In his closing remarks, Modi called on members to ensure that agreements reached at the summit translate into practical measures within defined timelines. He said the discussions had reinforced the view that BRICS should function as a platform for developing solutions rather than simply as a grouping of countries.
Modi also wished China success as it prepares to assume the BRICS chair for the next term.
The summit’s discussions followed a joint declaration issued on Saturday in which leaders expressed concern over conflicts and instability in the Middle East and Sudan. The bloc called for disputes to be addressed through dialogue and diplomatic means.
BRICS leaders also reiterated support for a more multipolar international order and backed reforms to major global institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The declaration criticised unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures, including sanctions that have not been authorised by the United Nations. Leaders also raised concerns about tariffs and non-tariff barriers, saying such measures could disrupt international trade and supply chains.
Economic cooperation featured prominently in the declaration. The bloc supported wider use of national currencies in trade and the development of stronger cross-border payment systems.
Members also backed closer cooperation in areas including food security, energy, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and climate action.
Reaching agreement among the expanded membership presented a diplomatic challenge because several countries have differing positions on major regional and geopolitical questions.
The participation of Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates was particularly significant given their competing interests and positions on regional issues. The ability of the members to adopt a joint declaration was therefore seen as an important test of the bloc’s capacity to maintain consensus despite those differences.
The summit also highlighted the broader role BRICS is seeking to play as its membership grows. While its members have different political systems and foreign policy priorities, the grouping has increasingly focused on cooperation in trade, finance, technology and development.
Modi’s warning placed those efforts against a backdrop of wider global uncertainty, with conflicts, disruptions to international commerce, climate events and competition over strategic resources creating additional pressure on economies.
His call for concrete implementation also put emphasis on whether agreements reached by BRICS can translate into practical benefits for member countries and the wider developing world.
