BRICS members are expected to reach decisions on a range of critical issues aimed at strengthening and improving cooperation within the group, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at its annual gathering, being held this year in the city of Kazan.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also attending the 16th BRICS Summit.
“In Kazan, we must make a whole series of important decisions aimed at further improving the activities of the association and strengthening multifaceted cooperation within its framework,” he stated. Putin said leaders would begin their negotiations after dinner following the summit’s opening ceremony on Tuesday.
Dozens of foreign leaders have gathered in Russia’s fifth-largest city for three days of intense discussions and high-level bilateral talks. The group aims to offer a new vision of global multilateralism.
On Tuesday, the Russian leader also held high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa. Earlier in the day, Putin met with the president of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), Dilma Rousseff.
BRICS was initially founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the group in 2010. This year, four more countries officially joined the bloc, including Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, which has also been invited to become a member and participates in BRICS events, has not finalized the ratification process.
Putin earlier said that some 30 nations had shown interest in cooperating with the group in various formats.
BRICS is expected to announce new members at the summit, as well as introducing a new ‘partner member’ status. According to Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, a total of 13 nations are currently seeking partner status. He told the media on Tuesday that “consultations” are being held between member delegations on the issue and that it will be reviewed by BRICS leaders.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that opinions vary on whether the group should accept new members.