New Delhi, May 07: Foreign ministers from Russia, Egypt, South Africa and several other member nations have confirmed their participation in a high-level BRICS ministerial meeting to be hosted by India on May 14–15. The meeting is expected to deliberate on the evolving security situation in the Middle East, the deepening global energy crisis and a range of other pressing international issues.
So far, representatives from Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia have confirmed their attendance, while other member countries are also expected to participate in the crucial gathering.
The meeting will be chaired by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi is likely to lead Tehran’s delegation. Mr. Jaishankar recently held telephonic talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and invited him to attend the meeting. However, Tehran has not yet officially confirmed Araghchi’s participation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also expected to skip the meeting due to the scheduled visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing. China is, however, expected to be represented by a deputy foreign minister.
The ministerial meet is likely to mark the first occasion on which officials from Iran and the United Arab Emirates will come face to face since the outbreak of the Iran conflict on February 28. India has extended invitations to all BRICS member states for what officials describe as an important diplomatic engagement.
India is chairing BRICS this year and will host the ministerial meeting ahead of the BRICS Summit scheduled for September. BRICS serves as a major platform for consultation and cooperation on global political, economic and security issues. The grouping currently comprises 11 countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
The upcoming meeting is expected to focus on regional stability, disruptions in global oil supply chains, maritime security, terrorism, food security and rising geopolitical tensions affecting the global economy. Participating nations are also likely to discuss strengthening multilateral cooperation and exploring coordinated measures to address emerging international challenges.
