BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meet 2026: Jaishankar calls for stable world order
Synopsis
India's first major ministerial push under its 2026 BRICS Chairship opened in New Delhi with EAM Jaishankar laying out an ambitious agenda — UNSC reform, maritime security, supply chain resilience, and counter-terrorism — framing the meeting as a building block for a reordered, more equitable global system ahead of the BRICS Leaders' Summit later this year.
Key Takeaways
Jaishankar chaired the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on 14 May 2026 .
India holds the 2026 BRICS Chairship under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.' Jaishankar called for reform of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
He stressed safe maritime flows , reliable supply chains , and stronger counter-terrorism cooperation .
The meeting is the first ministerial-level event under India's chairship and is expected to set the agenda for the BRICS Leaders' Summit later in 2026.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday, 14 May 2026, expressed confidence that the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi would advance the cause of a more stable, equitable, and inclusive international order. Hosting foreign ministers and senior representatives from BRICS member states and partner nations, India is chairing the two-day high-level gathering under its 2026 BRICS Chairship.
Key Priorities Flagged by Jaishankar
Opening the meeting, Jaishankar acknowledged that the world is navigating a period of heightened complexity and uncertainty, with emerging markets and developing nations bearing a disproportionate share of the fallout. He stressed the urgency of stronger collective responses to threats to energy, food, fertiliser, and health security.
The minister also underlined the importance of unimpeded and safe maritime flows through international waterways, calling them vital to global economic well-being. He urged BRICS partners to work toward reliable supply chains and diversified markets to build economic resilience against future shocks.
Technology, Governance, and Multilateral Reform
Jaishankar called for harnessing technology to drive good governance and inclusive growth, while simultaneously addressing concerns around trust, transparency, and equitable access to digital tools. On the security front, he advocated resolving challenges to international peace through dialogue, diplomacy, and strengthened counter-terrorism cooperation.
Notably, the EAM pushed for reformed multilateralism, specifically calling for reform of the United Nations Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent membership categories — a longstanding Indian diplomatic priority that has gained fresh momentum under its BRICS Chairship.
India's BRICS Chairship Theme and Context
India holds the BRICS chair in 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' — a people-centric framework that Prime Minister Narendra Modi articulated at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2025. The theme's acronym, BRICS, is itself embedded in the chairship vision.
'India's BRICS Chairship is geared toward building for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Confident that BRICS India 2026 discussions will be useful towards achieving a more stable, equitable and inclusive international order,' Jaishankar posted on X.
Significance of the Ministerial Meeting
The New Delhi gathering marks the first major ministerial-level engagement under India's BRICS Chairship and is expected to shape the agenda for the BRICS Leaders' Summit scheduled later in 2026. The outcomes from these deliberations will likely set the diplomatic tone for India's broader multilateral ambitions through the rest of the year.
Point of View
Not merely host it. Jaishankar's explicit call for UNSC reform — a perennial Indian ask that has rarely translated into movement — is being made from a stronger platform this time, with an expanded BRICS membership that includes several Global South heavyweights. The real test is whether the 'stable, equitable international order' framing produces concrete deliverables at the Leaders' Summit, or remains aspirational language. With geopolitical fault lines deepening, the gap between BRICS consensus statements and actionable outcomes has never been wider — or more consequential.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting 2026?
It is a two-day high-level gathering of foreign ministers and senior representatives from BRICS member countries and partner nations, held in New Delhi on 14 May 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship. The meeting is chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and is the first major ministerial-level engagement of India's 2026 chairship.
What did EAM Jaishankar say at the BRICS meeting?
Jaishankar called for a more stable, equitable, and inclusive international order, stressing the need for energy, food, and health security, safe maritime flows, resilient supply chains, and reform of the UN Security Council. He also advocated using technology for inclusive growth and stronger multilateral cooperation against terrorism.
What is India's theme for its 2026 BRICS Chairship?
India's 2026 BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,' a people-centric approach that Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.
Why does the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting matter?
The meeting is expected to shape the agenda for the BRICS Leaders' Summit scheduled later in 2026. As the first major ministerial event under India's chairship, its outcomes will influence India's multilateral diplomatic priorities for the rest of the year.
What is India's position on UN Security Council reform?
India has called for reform of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent membership categories — a longstanding diplomatic priority that Jaishankar reiterated at the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi.
