The BRICS heads of states meeting in New Delhi has produced some interesting developments, especially its politically hard stand against the west. This is happened when the world was watching how the BRICS which involves the future titans of the world economy can challenge the over dominance of the declining west.
Of course, the leaders avoided depicting the BRICS as an alternative organization, correcting the wrong doings of the industrialized west. But overall, the meeting made a clear statement that on issues related with development and politics, the forum is going to make a stand of its own. The Delhi declaration touched the present day hot political issues including Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria rather than concentrating on BRICS bank and other group specific issues.
One of the interesting outcomes of the New Delhi meeting is that the leaders have failed to achieve much progress on core areas like cross currency lending and establishment of a BRICS bank. These were the economic agenda of the meeting. A rapid progress on these fronts was expected but lack of consensus and home work from countries other than China has led to the timid progress.
On the other hand, the stand of the organization against sanctions on Iran by the west was a notable one though it was a political issue. The meeting almost condemned the compulsive restrictions by the west on Iran.
The radical stand by the member countries on the Iran issue was truly a united one. India and China are hard hit by the trade sanctions by the US led west. Both countries resisted the trade sanctions on Iran by continuing import of crude from Iran.
Till now there was no such powerful international forum especially with the disappearance of the NAM voicing the concerns of the developing countries. Now, the BRICS though small in number, has relevance because of the economic size and prospects of the members. Definitely, the BRICS can adopt a political stand if politics by the West hinders the prospects of the emerging world. This is the way the BRICS can take on the west.
