UAE and Iran Hold Surprise Meeting at BRICS Summit, Expresses Surprise and Relief Over Development

As United Arab Emirate’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, media delegations from the respective countries — sharing the room at Bharat Mandapam — expressed surprise and relief at the development. The UAE has been at the receiving end of a series of Iranian strikes on its cities with Tehran calling it a proxy of the United States.

Meanwhile, as tensions remained between the phrasing of the war in West Asia in the summit document had divided Iran and UAE in the last six months.

Meeting Marked Significant Shift Diplomatic

The meeting marked a significant shift in the diplomatic landscape, coming at a time when relations between the two countries have been strained due to ongoing conflicts in various regions. The Iranian government has consistently accused the UAE of being a proxy for the United States, while the UAE has denied these allegations and maintained its commitment to regional stability.

Read More: UAE and Iran Find Consensus in BRICS Declaration Amid West Asia War

Despite the tensions, both leaders expressed their willingness to engage in constructive dialogue, with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stating that he was "open to discussing ways to improve relations between our countries." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also emphasized the importance of cooperation and mutual understanding, saying that "we need to work together to address common challenges and promote regional peace." The meeting has been seen as a positive development

Media Delegations Express Surprise and Relief

The media contingent from the UAE was bigger — around 20 people comprising crews from state-owned Abu Dhabi TV, some other news channels and a group of newspaper journalists. Iranian media group was relatively smaller — representing state-owned IRNA news agency and several other outlets.

International Media Centre Where They

At the International Media Centre, from where they operated throughout the day, both sides kept to different sides of the room, neither talking to each other, nor about each other. A journalist from a prominent UAE newspaper, who didn’t want to be named said, “I have been asked to focus on my work and not engage in any discussions with Iranian journalists.” Her colleague added, "I will be happy to talk and exchange pleasantries if someone walks up to me."

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Having shared that, we are here because of our countries ties with India, and here to talk about it. While a section of mediapersons accompanied respective leaders from both countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had also invited and hosted social media influencers from all BRICS countries for over a week, taking them to Agra and Mumbai as well.

Over a 1,000 journalists were present at the media centre on Saturday, including over a 100 who were visiting from various BRICS countries, including China, Russia and South Africa. The meeting marked an important milestone in the BRICS summit, which aimed to promote regional cooperation and address pressing global issues.

The consensus reached during the summit is seen as a significant breakthrough, with leaders from all participating countries agreeing on key areas of cooperation. The agreement has been hailed as a major achievement