New Delhi, April 14: Brics may not be an alliance on the lines of the US-led Nato yet but it does not want to remain merely an economic grouping either.

Today, its five members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — said they would strive for “promoting co-ordination on issues of common interest”, spurred by the “co-operation in the UN Security Council on Libya”.

In their Sanya Declaration — named after the town in China’s Hainan province where the third Brics summit was being held — the leaders disapproved of the western countries’ use of force in Libya and called for reform of international financial institutions as well as the Security Council.

The evidence that at least the four original Brics members — minus new entrant South Africa — find convergence of views on international issues came last month when all of them argued against armed intervention in Libya.

They abstained from voting on the Security Council resolution to impose a no-fly zone over the north African country. South Africa voted for the resolution but has of late echoed the Brics’ position. The Sanya Declaration said the members were “deeply concerned with the turbulence in the Middle East, the north African and West African regions”.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alluded to the theme in his speech by saying there was a need for a “peaceful and orderly transition”. “We should join hands in ensuring a peaceful and orderly transformation of the world order. This should be the case, whether it is the reform of political and security governance structures in the United Nations or the international financial, monetary or trade system.”

India is to host the Brics Summit next year but today, Singh may not have missed home. At the banquet hosted by Chinese President Hu Jintao for him, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the other leaders, the hosts played Bar Bar Dekho, the memorable Mohammad Rafi song from the 1962 Shammi Kapoor-starrer China Town. Singh is learnt to have appreciated the musical interlude.

All Brics members are part of the Security Council at present: China and Russia are permanent members while India, Brazil and South Africa are non-permanent members. China and Russia said they “understand and support” India, Brazil and South Africa’s “aspirations to play a greater role in the UN”.

The Brics members also pledged to increase co-operation with non-Brics countries. Turkey, Mexico and Indonesia are being talked about as possible additions.