At BRICS summit, China, Russia and India urge ‘maximum restraint’ in Middle East

The BRICS group of nations unanimously adopted a joint declaration on Saturday, expressing “deep concern” over the war ⁠in the Middle East and urging maximum restraint, advocating for a “multilateral approach” that respects national viewpoints.

The declaration, adopted on the first day of the BRICS leaders’ annual ⁠summit in New ​Delhi, ⁠comes at a time when the U.S. and Iran have resumed tit-for-tat strikes against each ⁠other, after a pause in fighting for much ​of ⁠August.

The BRICS bloc includes ‌both Iran and the Washington-aligned United Arab Emirates, which was expected to make clinching a joint statement ‌consensus a particularly challenging task ‌for host India.

“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East…call for exercising maximum restraint…avoiding ⁠actions that could further aggravate the situation,” the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ said.

The declaration also reiterated the commitment of member nations to a peaceful resolution of international disputes “through dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy”.

In addition, they voiced concerns about the rise of “unilateral tariff ‌and non-tariff measures” that distort trade, against the ​backdrop of U.S. sanctions against ‌Tehran amid its war with ⁠the country, and against Russia over its ⁠conflict with Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business