THE opening of the Strait of Hormuz is a very welcome move for global energy security, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said on Tuesday, welcoming his counterparts from BRICS nations at a key conclave here. In his televised opening remarks at the BRICS NSAs meeting, Doval, touching upon impact of “geopolitical uncertainties and economic strains”, underlined the need for the grouping to play a significant role in addressing the challenges. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Iranian security official Ghadir Nezamipour and other top BRICS security officials are attending the meeting chaired by Doval. “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,” Doval said. “The opening of the Strait of Hormuz is a very welcome development. It will remove supply chain bottlenecks and (address) shortages in sectors like fertilisers and chemicals,” he said. In the remarks, Doval emphasised the importance of BRICS in navigating various global challenges. “We are meeting at a very tumultuous time. The world is facing geopolitical uncertainties, economic strains, and disruptive technology,” Doval said.

 

“Not only that the threats are compounding, but the instruments and institutional mechanisms are increasingly finding themselves to be inadequate to resolve or mitigate these conflicts,” he said. “Multilateralism is on the decline,” he said, adding BRICS has a major role to play in addressing various challenges. New Delhi hosted the conclave in its capacity as the current chair of the influential grouping. BRICS, 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.