The Middle East conflict and associated fuel crisis are expected to be the main topic of discussion when foreign ministers from the BRICS group of countries, which includes Iran and Russia, meet in India on Thursday.
The two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the expanded bloc, which now includes Iran and the United Arab Emirates—nations at odds over the confrontation started by the United States and Israel on February 28—is being hosted by India, which is this year's BRICS chair.
Speaking to reporters, Randhir Jaiswal of India's foreign ministry stated that discussions will center on "global and regional issues of mutual interest."
Iran's embassy in India reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi landed in New Delhi late on Wednesday.Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, is also present. On Wednesday night, he arrived in New Delhi and met his Indian colleague, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
"Trade and investment, energy and connectivity" and "global and multilateral issues" were among the topics of discussion, according to a statement from Jaishankar. "Our political cooperation is even more valuable in an uncertain and volatile global environment," Jaishankar continued.
India and other nations that import energy are under further strain as a result of the ongoing volatility in the oil and gas markets caused by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf shipping routes.
India's economy, which is largely dependent on imports of fertiliser and petroleum from the Middle East, has been further strained by the Iranian crisis, which has also raised doubts about New Delhi's prospects for growth.BRICS was established in 2009 as a platform for significant emerging economies looking to increase their influence in Western-dominated organisations.
Originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the organization has since grown as its members have worked to increase the bloc's political and economic clout on a worldwide scale.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates are now included, however it's still unclear if officials from every member nation will be there.
Later this year, India will host a leaders' conference, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with the foreign ministers, according to the foreign ministry.
It was unclear whether a joint statement would be issued at the conclusion of the meeting due to strong disagreements among several members, notably those regarding the Middle East conflict and criticism of Western powers.