External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has said that BRICS has stood firm as a strong voice of reason and constructive change at a time when multilateralism is under stress. Dr. Jaishankar stated this while hosting a meeting of the BRICS Foreign Ministers in New York on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. The Minister said that in a turbulent world, BRICS must reinforce the message of peacebuilding, dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law. He said that BRICS must amplify its collective call for a comprehensive reform of the principal organs of the United Nations, especially the UN Security Council.
Emphasising the impact of rising protectionism, tariff volatility and non-tariff barriers on trade flows, Dr Jaishankar said that BRICS must defend the multilateral trading system. Dr Jaishankar underlined that technology and innovation will define the next phase of BRICS cooperation. He added that India’s Chairship will focus on food and energy security, climate change, and sustainable development through digital transformation, startups, innovation, and strengthened development partnerships. Later in the evening, Dr. Jaishankar chaired a meeting of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum Ministers. During the meeting, IBSA made a strong call for transformative reform of the UN Security Council. Discussions also took place on the IBSA Academic Forum, maritime exercises, the IBSA Trust Fund, and ways to boost intra-IBSA trade.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Jaishankar also co-chaired the India-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Meeting alongside Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio. Both sides agreed to strengthen their existing broad-based cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, trade, health, digital technology, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and capacity building. They also discussed exploring emerging areas of cooperation, including artificial intelligence, critical minerals, space, renewables, and advanced technologies.
India and CELAC also concurred on the urgent need to reform multilateral institutions to better represent the voice of the Global South. The External Affairs Minister also held bilateral meetings with several global counterparts on the sidelines. Dr. Jaishankar met UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, Indonesia’s Sugiono, Austria’s Beate Meinl‑Reisinger, Cuba’s Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Romania’s Toiu Oana, and Sierra Leone’s Timothy Musa Kabba.
