BRICS leaders convene in New Delhi for second day of talks

Summit proceeds in Indian capital

Leaders of the expanded BRICS grouping gathered in New Delhi on Sunday for the second day of their annual summit, convening an open session titled "Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth." Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the attendees, alongside representatives from Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Cuba, Belarus, Nigeria and Uganda.

Expanded membership

The bloc now comprises 11 full members following recent expansions beyond the original five — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The group has also welcomed partner countries into its framework, including Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam and Belarus, according to the joint statement.

New Delhi Declaration

On Saturday, the bloc unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which recognized the "valuable contribution" of partner countries to BRICS cooperation. "We emphasize our strong belief that advancing the BRICS partnership with Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) will further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and international cooperation for the benefit of all," the declaration stated. It reaffirmed the commitment to "fostering inclusive, mutually beneficial and development-oriented partnership with Partner countries" and noted that participants encourage "increasing participation in BRICS engagements and practical cooperation in areas of shared interest."

Economic weight

The expanded grouping now represents approximately 49.5 percent of the world's population, 40 percent of global GDP and 26 percent of global trade, according to figures cited by the organization. The last summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.