Foreign Ministers from BRICS member states met on April 29, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro to address pressing global and regional challenges, including their collective response to the ongoing trade war with the United States. With 11 member countries representing nearly half of the world’s population and marked by vast geographic and cultural diversity, BRICS is seen as a key player in promoting global peace and stability. The need for reforming international institutions, including the UN Security Council, was also emphasized to better reflect today’s geopolitical realities.
Foreign Ministers from the BRICS group of developing nations failed to agree on a joint communique on Tuesday, highlighting differences within the fast-growing diplomatic bloc, while the chair Brazil issued a statement condemning trade protectionism. In the statement, Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, said the group’s foreign ministers expressed “serious concern at the prospect of a fragmented global economy and the weakening of multilateralism” at their gathering in Rio de Janeiro.
The statement did not name the United States, which has taken a sharp protectionist shift under President Donald Trump, whose unilateral tariffs have raised concerns about a global economic slowdown. The failure to reach a joint declaration was unexpected, a diplomatic source said, adding that there was room to iron out differences before July, when BRICS leaders will gather in Rio.
The expanded BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as well as new joiners Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran, faces daunting challenges from U.S. trade actions.
Ermias Tilahun,
Sources: TVC News, Reuters
