(Left-right, front) Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla pose for a family photograph with delegates of partner countries during the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday. — AFP NEW DELHI, May 15 (Reuters): The BRICS foreign ministers on Friday urged adhering to the ceasefire and “full and unhindered" humanitarian access to the war-torn Palestinian enclave of Gaza, according to a statement released by India after the 11-member bloc met in New Delhi.
The statement, dubbed "chair’s statement and outcome document," of the two-day meeting of the 11-member bloc's top diplomats, was released by India, which leads the bloc this year.
The top diplomats could not produce a joint statement over their differences regarding the Middle East conflict.
However, they reaffirmed support for the BRICS cooperation across political-security, economic-financial, and cultural-people-to-people pillars, and strongly condemned violations of international humanitarian law, including attacks on civilians, obstruction of aid, and targeting of aid workers.
The ministers expressed grave concern over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and called for adherence to international law, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
They urged a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and other occupied territories, the release of hostages and detainees, and unhindered humanitarian access.
They also called for respect of the Lebanon ceasefire, condemned violations of sovereignty and attacks on UNIFIL, and urged withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Top diplomats from BRICS nations, including rivals Iran and the United Arab Emirates, failed to issue a joint statement after a two-day meeting in Delhi, leaving host India to release only a chair's statement that exposed their differences.
Tehran had wanted the grouping of emerging economies to condemn the US-Israeli war on Iran and accused US ally the UAE of direct involvement in military operations against it.
Iran has struck the UAE with missiles and drones several times since the war began on February 28.
"There were differing views among some members as regards the situation in the West Asia/Middle East region," India said in the statement and outcome document.
Without naming the UAE, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told a news conference that a BRICS member blocked some parts of the statement.
Meanwhile, Tehran has "no trust" in the US and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, as talks on ending the war remained on hold.
Araqchi told reporters in New Delhi that all vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz except those "at war" with Tehran, if they coordinate with Iran's navy.
But the situation around the waterway, vital to global energy and commodities markets, was "very complicated", he added, during a visit to attend a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in India.
Iran effectively shut the strait, which normally handles about one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and gas supply, to most shipping after the US and Israel began their war on Iran in February.
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