BRICS summit: Members, partner countries discuss ‘resilience, innovation, cooperation’ on day 2 - Anadolu Ajansı

Leaders of the BRICS grouping and its partner nations met Sunday on the final day of the two-day 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in India’s capital, New Delhi.

The leaders attended an open session titled “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth.”

The expanded grouping of 11 countries includes longtime members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the origin of the BRICS name – plus more recent additions Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The group has also welcomed partner countries into the framework, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Among those attending the weekend summit are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, besides host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders representing the expanded group.

Other attendees include leaders and top officials from Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Cuba, Belarus, Nigeria, and Uganda, among others.

On Saturday, the bloc unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which recognized the “valuable contribution” of partner countries to BRICS cooperation, according to a joint statement.

It emphasized its “strong belief” that advancing the BRICS partnership with Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) would “further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and international cooperation for the benefit of all.”

The declaration also reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to “fostering inclusive, mutually beneficial and development-oriented partnership with Partner countries.”

“We encourage their increasing participation in BRICS engagements and practical cooperation in areas of shared interest,” it added.

The group now represents about 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP, and 26% of global trade, according to figures cited by BRICS.

The last summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025, and the next is scheduled to be held in China.