New Delhi : In a significant diplomatic breakthrough for India, the BRICS grouping on Saturday adopted a joint declaration with consensus, overcoming sharp divisions between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict following a series of back-channel negotiations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the end of the opening day’s deliberations at the two-day India-hosted summit.

The negotiations on the text of the declaration went down to the wire as both Iran and the UAE had hardened their positions initially. BRICS is a consensus-based grouping, meaning any single member can block a final joint declaration.

Prime Minister Modi was seen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the conclusion of the inaugural session at the summit.

“Today’s discussion makes it evident that the changing world cannot be steered by outdated institutions; reforms are essential in representation, responsiveness and rule-making,” Modi said in his concluding remarks.

“We also emphasised that the Global South must have equal participation in the development of future technologies and the rules governing them.” The prime minister said the gap between decisions and their outcomes must be bridged through partnership and collective action.

“The New Delhi Declaration adopted today provides a clear direction for our shared resolve. It is now our responsibility to translate these resolutions into tangible results,” he said.