BRICS leaders voice concern over attacks on civilian, nuclear facilities

BRICS leaders on Saturday voiced serious concern over "deliberate attacks" on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities operating under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). They stressed that nuclear safety and security must be maintained at all times, including during "armed conflicts".

In the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ adopted on the first day of the two-day BRICS Summit hosted by India, the leaders also raised concerns over the "growing risks of nuclear danger and conflict".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the conclusion of the opening day's deliberations. The announcement was made in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top leaders of the bloc.

In a major diplomatic victory for India, BRICS reached an agreement on the joint declaration after overcoming sharp differences between the United Arab Emirates and Tehran over the West Asia conflict. However, the declaration did not directly mention the US strikes on Iran or attacks by the Iranian military on Gulf Arab nations.

Without naming any country, the declaration said, "We express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the IAEA," it said.

"Nuclear safeguards, safety, and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment from harm," it added.

BRICS originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while Indonesia joined in 2025.

Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.

The declaration said, "We express concern about the growing risks of nuclear danger and conflict. We reiterate the need for invigorating the system of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation and for preserving its integrity and effectiveness to achieve global stability and international peace and security."

The leaders also highlighted the important role of "nuclear-weapon-free zones" in strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime. They reaffirmed their support for and respect towards all existing nuclear-weapons free zones and the assurances associated with them against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

They also recognised the importance of efforts aimed at speeding up the implementation of the "resolutions on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, including the Conference convened pursuant to UN General Assembly Decision 73/546."

"We call on all invited parties to participate in this conference in good faith and engage with this effort constructively. We note the adoption of the UNGA Resolution 79/241 'Comprehensive study of the question of nuclear-weapon-free zones in all its aspects' as well as the successful conclusion of the study, which was adopted by the group by consensus," the declaration said.  (with inputs from PTI)