New Delhi: India has come in for praise from the United Nations (UN) for facilitating a crucial meeting between Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN secretary-general António Guterres’ called this meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit “very important”, hailing India’s role a ‘bridge-builder’ in efforts to end the ongoing West Asia conflict.
It is very important for the parties involved to meet and communicate amid escalating tensions, Dujarric said.
“I think it is very important that they meet. Whenever there is a conflict, it is very important that parties that are in conflict meet. I think it goes back to what I said earlier about the potential and role that India can play as a bridge-builder in trying to end this conflict,” he said, as reported by WION.
While addressing the BRICS Summit, Pezeshkian called on the bloc to adopt concrete steps against what he termed unilateral and inhumane sanctions, insisting that BRICS should stand as a champion of justice.
“BRICS members have a responsibility to stand against the normalisation of attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities, because any action against these sites constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security. The issue of Palestine and upholding the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is a serious test of the credibility and legitimacy of global governance and requires BRICS to play an active role,” the Iranian leader said.
Dujarric also touched on Gaza, calling on all sides to carry out the peace plan backed by the UN Security Council. He noted that the Security Council had endorsed a peace framework put forth by US president Donald Trump, and stressed the importance of all parties acting on it. He described the humanitarian conditions in Gaza as dire, adding that the ongoing instability, both there and in the West Bank, cannot be ignored, and that the two-state solution must remain the ultimate objective.
The briefing came even as BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, voicing serious concern over rising tensions in West Asia. It also called for maximum restraint to prevent further aggravating the situation.