External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called on BRICS to defend the multilateral trading system amid increasing protectionism and tariff volatility during a meeting of the Bloc’s foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) session.

“When multilateralism is under stress, BRICS has stood firm as a strong voice of reason and constructive change,” Mr. Jaishankar said in a social media post. “In a turbulent world, BRICS must reinforce the message of peacebuilding, dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law,” he said.’