National Security Advisor Ajit Doval welcomed the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as a positive development for global energy security during his opening remarks at the BRICS National Security Advisors meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. Doval noted that the move would help remove supply chain bottlenecks and address shortages in sectors such as fertilisers and chemicals.
Doval Highlights BRICS Role Amid Global Turmoil
In his televised address, Doval touched upon the impact of “geopolitical uncertainties and economic strains,” underlining the need for the grouping to play a significant role in addressing the challenges. He stated, “We are meeting at a very tumultuous time. The world is facing geopolitical uncertainties, economic strains, and disruptive technology.” Doval added that threats are compounding and institutional mechanisms are increasingly inadequate to resolve or mitigate conflicts.
Doval also welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the US and Iran, expressing cautious optimism. “India welcomes the MoU reached between the US and Iran. We have got cautious optimism, and we hope that it will work. It will help energy security,” he said.
BRICS Expansion and Global Significance
The BRICS grouping, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025. The bloc now represents approximately 49.5% of the global population, around 40% of global GDP, and about 26% of global trade. Doval emphasized that BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping of major emerging economies.
He noted that BRICS was conceived as an informal grouping to advance economic cooperation and strengthen the voice of the Global South. “BRICS is a very special coalition of countries that believe in peace, progress, development, and cooperation,” he added.
Focus on Non-Traditional Security Threats
Doval flagged concerns over non-traditional security threats, including those emerging from disruptive technologies. “Non-traditional threats have transcended national borders and have developed defeat systems against conventional responses,” he said. The conclave will also discuss outcomes from two BRICS joint working groups on counter-terrorism.
New Delhi hosted the conclave in its capacity as the current chair of the influential grouping. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Iranian security official Ghadir Nezamipour, and other top BRICS security officials attended the meeting chaired by Doval.
Call for Multilateralism and Institutional Reform
Doval lamented the decline of multilateralism and called for BRICS to play a major role in addressing global challenges. “What role we as a grouping can play is a matter that is important for us to ponder,” he said. He also mentioned that BRICS envisioned reforms in global governance and institutional improvements.
The National Security Advisor concluded by reiterating the importance of collective deliberations on non-traditional security challenges, stating, “They all constitute an important threat for us. Today, we will be navigating some of these non-traditional security challenges in our collective deliberations.”
