President Xi urges peace and stability in Middle East at BRICS Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping says China is is willing to work with fellow

BRICS members to play their due role in achieving peace and stability in

the Middle East and the Gulf region.

Addressing the18th BRICS Summit bloc nations in New Delhi on Saturday, Xi

says China looks forward to jointly usher in a third "golden decade" of BRICS cooperation.

The 18th BRICS Summit began with an address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

who sought to ease concerns that BRICS intends to counter Western-led alliances,

while portraying the grouping as a platform for emerging

and developing economies to have a greater voice in global affairs.

Addressing the group in Hindi, Modi says "It is clear from today's discussion

that the management of the changing world cannot be done with the

old institutions. Representation, responsiveness, and rule-making -

all three need to be improved."

Chinese President Xi Jinping in his address

to the group says the Middle East war

has caused serious losses to people across the region and does not serve

the common interests of the international community.

Xi puts forward a four-point proposal on maintaining and promoting peace

and stability in the region, stressing

relevant parties should stay committed to a political settlement and work toward

achieving a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

In a latest joint statement from the group, BRICS nations condemn

sanctions not authorised by the United Nations.

The statement highlights "deliberate attacks" on civilian infrastructure and

peaceful nuclear facilities under the UN atomic energy agency's safeguards,

saying nuclear safety and security must be protected during armed conflicts.

The statement did not name any countries, but Russia, one of the founding

members of BRICS, has faced Western sanctions following its full-scale

invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Looking ahead, Xi reveals China will assume the

BRICS presidency next year and will host the 19th BRICS Summit.

Xi says China is ready to work with all parties to build consensus, jointly usher

in a third "golden decade" of BRICS cooperation, and create a bright future of

prosperity and progress.