The leaders of Russia, India, China, South Africa, the UAE, and Egypt, as well as the UN secretary-general, gathered in the Russian city of Kazan for the 16th annual BRICS Summit. The event, which has also welcomed a host of potential BRICS partner countries, has been widely seen as a snub to the West and a signal that Russia has not been isolated by Ukraine-related sanctions.
The current BRICS member countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to ratify its membership invitation.
The second day of the summit included bilateral meetings between leaders of BRICS member states and panel sessions where key global issues were discussed. BRICS also published a joint declaration which addressed multiple global challenges and outlined the group’s vision for global governance, economic development, and international cooperation.
On Thursday, BRICS members talked more about the group’s expansion plans and finalized the establishment of a new ‘partner state’ status, as around 34 countries have expressed interest in formally joining the group or deepening cooperation with it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held several high-level meetings with BRICS leaders, including talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Other BRICS members also held bilateral meetings.
24 October 2024
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Politics is keeping Berlin from using the remaining branch of the Nord Stream network that once delivered Russian natural gas to Germany, according to Vladimir Putin. “There is still one line along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 2. So, what does it cost the German authorities? They just press a button and the process starts,” the Russian president said at a press conference following the 16th BRICS Summit.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, built under the Baltic Sea to transport Russian natural gas directly to the EU nation, were disabled by powerful underwater explosions in September 2022.
The West’s ongoing investigation into the Nord Stream attack is unlikely to identify its true masterminds and perpetrators, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, said this month. The US and the UK were directly involved in the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, he alleged. Naryshkin also suggested that the attack was aimed at dividing Europe.
In a February 2023 article, Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that the attack had been commissioned directly by US President Joe Biden, with US military divers planting explosives on the pipelines using a NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea as cover. While Washington strongly denied the accusations, Moscow described this theory as plausible.
Russia’s position on Venezuela’s admission to BRICS does not match that of Brazil, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at a press conference following the BRICS Summit.
The Russian leader was answering a question from a TV Globo journalist. He said that he “speaks about this openly,” adding that he had a phone talk with the President of Brazil, with whom he has “very good friendly relations.”
Admission to the BRICS group is only possible through consensus, Putin said. “We have a rule that requires the consent of all member states to accept any candidate. Without this, it is impossible to take such a step,” he pointed out.
“Venezuela is fighting for its independence, for its sovereignty,” Putin said, adding that Moscow anticipates that Brasilia and Caracas will sort out their relations in future talks.
The Palestinian people appreciate Russia’s position on the issue of their statehood, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
“We are pleased with the strong positions that the Russian Federation takes in support of the Palestinian issue and in support of the sovereign right of the Palestinian people to achieve all their goals and create our state,” Abbas said on Thursday during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the BRICS Summit.
Abbas agreed with Putin’s proposal to conduct a dialogue on the Middle East, noting that “the most important thing is that this takes place within an internationally legitimate framework.”
Vladimir Putin on Thursday held talks with the President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, inviting him to take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. On the subject of Russian-Laotian cooperation, Putin called it “mutually beneficial and has reached the level of a strategic partnership.”
According to the Russian leader, trade turnover between the two countries is still modest, but there are very good trends for its development.
In turn, Sisoulith congratulated Putin on the successful BRICS Summit, saying “I think that after this event, Russia’s role will grow.”
BRICS countries will develop interbank communication and the create conditions for settlements in national currencies, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, noting it is important to make “timely decisions at the administrative level.”
“As for SWIFT … we have not created and are not creating any alternatives for anything, but nevertheless the issue is very important today…” Putin said on Thursday.
Russia has ramped up efforts to move away from the SWIFT system since many of the country’s financial institutions were cut off from the Western financial network in 2022.
Moscow has accelerated trade with international partners using their national currencies. The trend has been increasingly supported by BRICS members, which have increasingly shifted away from using the dollar and euro for trade settlements.
The Russian president has said that the security of the country remains an absolute priority for him, and that any attempts to threaten the nation are counterproductive. “You can threaten anyone, but there is no point in threatening Russia, because it only emboldens us,” Vladimir Putin told a press conference on Thursday following the conclusion of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
Putin also denied claims by former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump that he had threatened a strike against Moscow, dismissing the comment as election campaign talk. At the same time, Putin commended Trump’s repeated promises to bring the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to an end. Moscow welcomes any peace initiatives regardless of who presents them, he said, reiterating the country’s readiness to take part in peace talks.
The BRICS group has agreed on a list of partner countries, according to the Russian president. “We have decided that at the first stage, with a view to possible expansion, we will go along the path of agreeing on a list of partner countries… Some countries that participated in today’s and yesterday’s events have submitted their proposals and requests for full-scale participation in the work of the BRICS group,” Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
Over 30 nations have expressed interest in formally joining the BRICS group or deepening cooperation with it. Earlier on Thursday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that around 12 or 13 countries, including Belarus, have become BRICS partners.
BRICS countries have expressed their commitment to building a more democratic and multipolar world order, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press conference on Thursday. According to Putin, the center of business activity is gradually shifting towards developing markets and “The trend for the BRICS’ leading role in the global economy will only strengthen.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has revealed the number of countries to be granted BRICS partner status. “12 or 13 countries, including Belarus, have become partners,” he said in an interview with Izvestia on Thursday on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan, as quoted by Belta news agency.
Lukashenko also said he was somewhat surprised that although about 30 countries expressed their desire to join BRICS, just a dozen countries became partners.
In June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that BRICS had voted to temporarily suspend new membership applications and focus on integrating the countries that joined in 2024. Lavrov added that a new category of “partner countries” would be created as a “stepping stone” to full membership.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira spoke against the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. “We have created a ‘peace club’ to establish a dialogue and find a long-term solution, which could only be achieved through respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and consideration of legitimate security interests from all sides,” he said on Thursday at the BRICS Plus/Outreach summit.
Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, Vieira said there will be no peace in the region until an independent Palestinian state is created. He added that in light of the worsening situation in Lebanon, it is important to prevent the conflict from escalating into an “all-out war.”
South Africa is concerned with the lack of action with regard to lingering regional conflicts, both in the Middle East and Africa, the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, stated at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session.
“The world cannot just sit by and watch the slaughter of innocent people,” he said, referring to the conflict in Gaza, which he characterized as a “genocide” carried out by Israel.
“On our own continent, Africa, Sudan enters its second year of horrific conflict and devastation. This is yet another conflict that the world seems to have forgotten about,” he stated, calling on the world to unite in searching for “lasting solutions of all these conflicts.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has praised BRICS for promoting “mutual cooperation and respect among states.” Speaking at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session, he noted that the group’s ongoing summit in Kazan “comes at a critical time with simmering international crises and challenges,” and called on BRICS members and partners to boost cooperation to tackle them.
“It is essential for developing countries to come together and reinforce South-South cooperation medium for encountering current challenges,” the Egyptian president stated.
According to el-Sisi, the most pressing matter in this regard is ending hostilities in the Middle East, which is necessary to “preclude the region from being brought to an all-out war.”
“Cooperation with the Global South has the potential to increase the productivity capacity of developing countries,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session. The reforms of multilateral economic and financial institutions should become a focal point for BRICS, he added.
“We must work hand in hand toward democratizing the decision-making process by expounding the representation the Global South, in particular Africa, in global economic and financial institutions,” the leader urged, calling for joint action aimed at increasing South-South cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, finance and tourism.
BRICS is a “statement of how profoundly the old world order is changing,” Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session. He noted that while the Global South is rapidly developing, problems persist such as health, food, and fuel insecurity, as well as lack of access to developmental resources and modern technologies.
The minister stressed, however, that BRICS can provide new platforms for tackling these and other challenges facing developing countries.
“How can we create a fairer global order? First, by strengthening and expanding platforms of an independent nature, expanding options in different areas and minimizing over-dependence on old action patterns, this is where BRICS can really make a difference in the Global South,” Jaishankar stated. He also called for drastic reforms to existing global institutions and mechanisms, especially the UN Security Council and multilateral development banks.
“You’ve mentioned we all should represent one big family – that’s how we live,” Vladimir Putin said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan, responding to comments made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Putin noted that, as in all families, there are “disagreements, scandals, division of property even reaching a fight at times” within BRICS. He stressed, however, that the association strives to give all members an opportunity to resolve their disagreements through dialogue.
“The point of BRICS is to create necessary mechanisms for interaction, to create wholesome conditions in our common home. This is our goal, this is what we’re going to continue doing in close coordination, among others, with the UN, with our friends and colleagues,” Putin stated.
BRICS can play a “very important role” in promoting UN values and creating a multipolar world order, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan.
“I salute your valuable commitment and support for multilateralism and international problem solving. No single group and no single country can act alone or in isolation – it takes a community working as one global family to address global challenges,” he stated, signaling that he sees BRICS as an example of such a community.
“The [UN] Summit of the Future charted a course to multilateralism for global development and security, and now we must turn words into deeds, and we believe that BRICS can play a very important role in this direction,” Guterres said.
He highlighted four areas which in his opinion represent major challenges for the new multipolar world order, and called for global powers to unite in tackling them. These include the reforms in global financial architecture, tackling climate change, boosting availability of technology, and resolving regional conflicts.
“Illegal sanctions have a devastating effect on international relations,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan. According to him, economic restrictions “prevent countries from accessing their financial resources,” which in turn “hinders their effective role in international cooperation processes such as combating the adverse effects of climate change, global warming, environmental degradation and providing humanitarian aid.”
Pezeshkian noted that “thanks to BRICS,” many countries will be able to take part in creating a fairer system of relations, “a more balanced world order based on justice and stability.”
“In other words, a better world would be a place where there are no traces of sanctions, acts of aggression, wars... and genocide,” he stated.
BRICS should be the “driving force” behind the development of the Global South and the entire global economy, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan.
“The collective rise of the Global South is a clear sign of significant changes in the world… an unprecedented achievement in the development of human civilization… We should become the main driving force for common development, should play an active and leading role in global economic governance reform and make development the core of global economic and trade agenda,” he stated. Xi also called on BRICS partners to “support each other in choosing a path of modernization that suits their national conditions.”
Laos wants to join BRICS, President Thongloun Sisoulith said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan on Thursday.
“In light of the significant achievements of BRICS and the growing importance of BRICS on the world stage, Laos wants to formally declare its interest in becoming a member of BRICS. We are ready to increase our interaction with BRICS on a number of key issues. We hope for your support and acceptance of Laos into the ranks of BRICS,” he stated.
BRICS is a “community of the future,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan.
“In terms of its potential, BRICS can bring an end to the global dominance of the collective West, which has proven incapable of bearing responsibility for the civilized development of international relations,” the leader stated. Belarus “fully shares the philosophy of BRICS” and hopes to join the group in the nearest future, he added.
“It is with BRICS that more and more countries associate their ideas about a fair world order. A world order that ensures the equality of sovereign states, regardless of their size, military and economic power, where the right of everyone to determine their development goals and pursue an independent foreign policy is recognized,” Lukashenko stressed.
“It’s stupid, it’s idiotic to imagine that you can isolate Russia – it’s not possible. Not just because Russia is a nuclear superpower, but Russia represents a system of values… God, nation, and family… are needed in the world. You cannot isolate this kind of country,” Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in an exclusive interview with RT on Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, he added that the harshest insult in the West is “loser,” and said that the West itself is the “loser” when it pursues the agenda of isolating Russia.
Palestine hopes to join BRICS, President Mahmoud Abbas said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan.
“The desire of multiple countries to join BRICS is in fact the desire of all to develop a new, more just and balanced world order… BRICS values are in tune with what the Palestinian people are striving for – independence and freedom,” he stated, noting that BRICS has the ability to help respond to challenges which many nations are unable to tackle on their own.
Abbas also called on attendees to support Palestine in its fight for independence and the conflict with Israel.
“It is extremely important... to stop hostilities, organize humanitarian aid and withdraw Israeli troops so that the Palestinian people can begin to engage in post-conflict reconstruction. The moment has come when we need to put an end to... the occupational activities of Israel,” Abbas said, calling on world powers to introduce sanctions against West Jerusalem if this does not happen.
BRICS is “especially important” as the world is facing “so many challenges and changes,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan on Thursday.
“We see that the financial system that was formed after World War II has undergone changes… so we must try to solve problems using collective wisdom. BRICS provides an incomparable contribution to the construction of a new global world order,” the Turkish leader stated.
He added however, that “building a fair world order and sustainable development” is only possible if the security of countries’ borders is ensured, and said it is crucial that the current conflict in the Middle East is resolved. He stated that in order for hostilities to end, world powers need to stop supplying Israel with weapons and join forces to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“It is symbolic that today’s session is taking place on the day we celebrate the UN,” Putin has said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan, referring to the signing of the UN Charter on October 24, 1945.
Putin praised the document, stating that its principles “for almost eight decades have served as the foundation for interstate relations and international law.” He noted, however, that it is now “high time that its structures were adapted to the realities of the 21st century” to provide greater representation for the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
“We need to reform their representation on the UN Security Council and carry out other key reforms... The weight of these countries has changed over recent decades, but it is not adequately reflected in… the governance systems of multilateral development institutions,” Putin stated.
“The new Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the bloodiest in decades… hostilities that started a year ago in Gaza have now spilled over into Lebanon, and other countries of the region have also been affected… It looks like a chain reaction and it puts the entire Middle East on the brink of a disaster,” Vladimir Putin said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan on Thursday.
He called on the global community to help “stop the violence,” noting that one of the ways to do this is to establish an independent Palestinian state “that would peacefully coexist with Israel.”
“Fixing this issue can serve as a guarantee to peace in the Middle East. Until this matter is resolved this vicious circle of violence cannot be broken,” Putin stated.
Putin has condemned Western states for interfering in the internal affairs of countries “under the slogans of democracy and human rights.” Speaking at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan, he warned that such “unhealthy methods and approaches” lead to the emergence of new conflicts and the exacerbation of existing ones, “undermining regional and global strategic stability.”
The West is “using” Ukraine to create “critical threats” to Russia, Vladimir Putin said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan on Thursday.
“Ukraine has been and is being used to create critical threats to Russia’s security, while our vital interests, our just concerns about the infringement on the rights of Russian-speaking people are being ignored. [Western states] do not even hide any longer their goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on our country,” he stated. Putin noted, however, that it is unwise to believe the West can achieve its goals.
“It’s a mere illusion, only those who don’t know the history of Russia can believe in this, because they don’t take into account the unity and the strength of spirit of Russians forged over the centuries.”
“Countries in the Global South and the Global East, we all share similar values and a vision of a new democratic world order that reflects the cultural and civilizational diversity. And we are convinced that this world order should be governed by universal principles of respect for the local legitimate interests and the sovereign choice of the peoples and nations, on adherence to international law,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format session in Kazan on Thursday.
He added, however, that “it’s difficult to change to the new world order” because the process is being hindered by Western countries which are “used to dominating everyone and everything.”
“BRICS shows an important thing – they can overcome internal differences. You have some disputes among the members, but that’s never a problem for joint politics of BRICS – that’s a great achievement,” Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in an interview with RT on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
He predicted that “in two or three years, citizens of Serbia will be called upon to choose” between the EU and BRICS, and said joining BRICS would be an “unbelievable opportunity” for Serbia.
“Just imagine what kind of market… To reach that kind of market is an unbelievable opportunity… We cannot offer you nothing that satisfies your needs, but you can give us more than our needs are… But most important – you don’t impose on us any political pressure,” he stated.
The International Monetary Fund expects global growth to shift towards BRICS and away from the G7 in the next five years, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing the IMF’s latest economic outlook.
Bloomberg says that even though the US GDP has grown a lot over the past 25 years, it won’t be able to keep its share of the world economy based on purchasing power parity. India and China are set to overtake it. China is expected to be the top contributor to global growth, with its 22% share bigger than all of the G7 economies combined.
Pakistan expects to join BRICS in the near future, Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, coordinator to the country’s prime minister, told RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan on Thursday.
“Pakistan has asked to be included in BRICS and is full of hope in this regard. I think we will be in BRICS in the near future. It is obvious that BRICS is a strong forum representing a significant part of the world economy… We hope that our request will be satisfied,” Khan stated.
Pakistan formally requested to join BRICS last November.
French MEP Florian Philippot has mocked Western attempts to isolate Russia in a post on X. “36 world leaders. A good half of the world’s population. The Secretary General of the UN. No, it’s certain, ‘the West’ has succeeded in its coup: Russia is totally isolated!” the European Parliament member wrote on Wednesday, commenting on the BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.
“Instead of continuing to play at war against the majority of humanity, France would do better to regain its independence, to leave NATO, the EU and everything that is in the orbit around Washington, and take the path of fruitful dialogue and peace!” the politician stated.
The West is pressuring Belgrade for any form of cooperation with Moscow, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in an interview with RIA Novosti on Wednesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Vulin stressed that despite the pressure, Belgrade does not intend to cut ties with Moscow.
“There is pressure on us for any activity carried out between Serbia and Russia. And the collective West always puts pressure on us when it sees that we maintain good ties with Russia. No, we will not introduce any sanctions against Russia. And, of course, we will not change our policy regarding our economic cooperation… I know that we will not stop flying to Moscow,” Vulin stated.
Efforts by the West to isolate Russia have failed, State Duma Chair Vyacheslav Volodin has said. Commenting on the ongoing BRICS Summit on his Telegram channel on Thursday, the MP said it is apparent that more and more nations choose multipolarity over the old world order.
“Washington and Brussels’ plan to isolate Russia has failed. The time of [US President Joe] Biden, [French President Emmanuel] Macron, and [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz has passed. The countries want to live in a multipolar and fair world. Based on mutual respect and sovereign equality of states,” Volodin has stated.
“We have reached a historic BRICS Summit in Russia with a view to consolidating a multipolar financial system based on inclusion, mutual cooperation and respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of our peoples,” the president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, wrote in a post on X upon arriving in Kazan to take part in the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format meeting later on Thursday.
The Kremlin has shared a video clip highlighting the second day of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, during which the economic group held its main session and adopted a joint communique. Meanwhile, more world leaders continued to arrive to participate in the upcoming extended-format meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit earlier Wednesday that Beijing will continue its cooperation with its “good friend and partner” Tehran, regardless of changes in the international situation, according to Xinhua.
“The Chinese side supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security, and dignity, steadily advancing its economic and social development, and improving good-neighborly relations with neighboring countries,” Xinhua paraphrased Xi as saying.
Pezeshkian, in turn, stated that Iran will gladly cooperate with its “most important partner” to support “respective core interests” while “opposing hegemony and bullying,” as reported by Xinhua.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has arrived in Kazan to participate in the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format meeting scheduled for later on Thursday.
The BRICS nations are not using their currencies as a weapon, unlike those who have weaponized the US dollar to achieve political goals, President Vladimir Putin said earlier on Wednesday.
Washington itself made a “big mistake” that undermined confidence in the dollar as a global reserve currency, Putin insisted, emphasizing that BRICS was not “fighting with the dollar” – which remains the “most important instrument of world finance” – but was left with no other choice.
“If we are not allowed to work with it, what should we do? We are then forced to look for other alternatives, which is what happens,” the Russian leader explained.
“While striving for cooperation, I think we should understand that the longer we live and work according to others' rules and use their platforms, the longer this transition to a new and more equitable economic and financial system will take. This may be accompanied by major shocks, including those we are currently observing, particularly in the Middle East,” Putin added.
On the third day of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Russia for the first time since 2022. Putin and Guterres are expected to discuss the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as the general activities of the United Nations.
The President of Bolivia Luis Arce has arrived in Kazan to participate in the extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format meeting later on Thursday, with the goal of “consolidating important results in favor of the Bolivian people,” he wrote on X.
The BRICS nations emphasized that all countries have the right to pursue their own development paths and make decisions about their internal affairs without interference from other states.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration, and consensus,” the group wrote.
The group noted the “considerable interest” expressed by countries in the Global South to cooperate, if not join, the bloc, and thus endorsed the modalities for a new BRICS Partner Country category.
“We strongly believe that extending the BRICS partnership with EMDCs emerging market and developing countries will further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and true international cooperation for the benefit of all,” it stated.
The current BRICS members are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to ratify its membership invitation. With nearly three dozen countries expressing interest in joining the economic bloc, Moscow considers establishing a BRICS partner category the best option for potential expansion.
The BRICS countries reaffirmed their commitment to promoting a multipolar world order where all nations have an equal say in global affairs. The joint communique on Wednesday reflected the call for greater representation of emerging and developing countries in international institutions.
“We note the emergence of new centers of power, policy decision-making and economic growth, which can pave the way for a more equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order,” the document stated, adding that such a system would prove more beneficial to developing countries than the current Western-led international order.
The group has welcomed the growing influence of other regional organizations, such as the African Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). These organizations are seen as important platforms for promoting economic cooperation, security, and cultural exchange among their member states. The declaration also called for the use of a strengthened World Trade Organization to resolve trade disputes, and an expanded UN Security Council to give greater representation to the Global South.
23 October 2024
In its joint communique, BRICS members condemned all kinds of sanctions and other unilateral coercive measures as incompatible with international law, with far-reaching implications for human rights.
”We are deeply concerned about the disruptive effect of unlawful unilateral coercive measures, including illegal sanctions, on the world economy, international trade, and the achievement of the sustainable development goals,” the declaration stated, noting that economic sanctions disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable in targeted countries.
The group also condemned “unilateral measures introduced under the pretext of climate and environmental concerns” and opposed “unilateral protectionist measures, which deliberately disrupt global supply and production chains and distort competition.”
“Acknowledging the role of the BRICS members as the world's largest producers of natural resources, we underscore the importance of strengthening cooperation among the BRICS members across the entire value chain and agree to take joint actions with the aim of opposing unilateral protectionist measures,” the group said.
The members of BRICS will hold a meeting in an extended Outreach/BRICS Plus format on Thursday, which will include leaders from several CIS, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries, as well as heads of international organizations. The panel will focus on issues of sustainable development, peaceful conflict resolution, combating terrorism and transborder crime, addressing poverty, climate change, and the stability of supply chains, along with technology and knowledge exchanges, according to TASS.
“In other words, these are the topics that directly influence the lives of people in our countries and require collective efforts,” President Putin stressed.
After the meeting, the Russian leader will address a news conference and continue bilateral meetings with foreign leaders.
The Kazan Summit declaration paid little attention to the Ukrainian crisis, because it is far from being the central issue for the economic bloc, according to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“Because it is not the central issue for the BRICS. Not at all. Yes, this is an important issue of the Russian agenda, but it is far from being the central issue for the BRICS. And it was reflected exactly as much as it is supposed to be on the BRICS agenda,” Peskov said.
As the BRICS nations have all adopted a policy of neutrality on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the declaration did not commit the group to backing either side. Instead it stressed that “all states should act consistently with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter,” and acknowledged “relevant proposals of mediation and good offices, aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.”
BRICS countries adopted a joint declaration strongly opposing the practice of unlawful politically motivated sanctions that undermine the development of other states.
Entitled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,’ the 33-page ‘Kazan Declaration’ was released on Wednesday following a range of multi-format meetings at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
“We are deeply concerned about the disruptive effect of unlawful unilateral coercive measures, including illegal sanctions, on the world economy, international trade, and the achievement of the sustainable development goals,” the declaration reads.
The joint statement said that such measures are “inconsistent with [the] rules” of the WTO, undermine the UN Charter and jeopardize the multilateral trading system.
Ethiopia’s accession to BRICS is an important step and confirms the country’s authority on the global arena, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
“We will continue to promote the harmonious integration of Ethiopia into the work of the group,” Putin added.
The East African nation is one of four countries that joined BRICS earlier this year. More than 30 nations, including NATO member Türkiye, have applied to join the group, according to Russian officials.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrived in Kazan on Wednesday to head up the kingdom’s delegation at BRICS 2024 as “a country which is invited to join the group,” Al-Ekhbariya TV channel is reporting.
The minister will participate in the summit on behalf of the King of Saudi Arabia.
This year, four more countries officially joined BRICS – Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been officially invited to become a member but has not finalized the ratification process.
BRICS is united in its support for strengthening cooperation in the global arena based on the key principles of the UN Charter, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated.
“The BRICS countries… are jointly striving to contribute in every possible way to the formation of a fair multipolar world order with the decisive participation of the countries of the Global South and East in the systems of international governance,” Putin said at a gala reception on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
The gala event is being attended by the heads of BRICS delegations and invited leaders, who are in Kazan to participate in events in the ‘BRICS Plus/Outreach’ format.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the BRICS Summit meetings as successful. On Wednesday, Putin held restricted-format talks with BRICS leaders, and later they held an expanded meeting, focusing on the bloc’s activities, primarily in the economic and humanitarian areas.
“Today’s BRICS summit meetings in narrow and wide formats, which were devoted to current issues on the global agenda, interaction in politics and security, economics and the humanitarian sphere, were successful,” Putin said at a gala reception in honor of the summit in Kazan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the BRICS Summit in Kazan as he departed for New Delhi. The event concluded on Wednesday with the adoption of the ‘Kazan Declaration.’
In a post on X, Modi wrote: “The BRICS Summit in Kazan was very productive,” adding that he “had the opportunity to discuss diverse issues and meet various world leaders.”
“I thank President Putin, the Russian people and Government for their hospitality,” the Indian PM summed up. Modi also posted footage from the summit, captioning it “here are the highlights.”
Africa is interested in cooperation with BRICS and is seeking to join the economic group, the Chairman of the African Peace and Security Union (APSU), Roll Stephane Ngomat, has said.
“As you know, we already have several countries from Africa that are members of BRICS... South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt. And we want to expand BRICS, so why shouldn’t the continent fully become part of BRICS,” the APSU chair told RIA on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit in Kazan.
BRICS is a good alternative to the EU, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in an interview with RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
“Personally, I do not see a future for Serbia in the European Union, but I am also concerned about the future of the EU itself as an organization,” Vulin told the outlet on the sidelines of BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
“A couple of years ago, we had no alternative to the EU. Now BRICS as a completely new platform is becoming a real and reliable alternative,” he went on to say.
Vulin also expressed hope for Serbia to join BRICS, noting that the economic group offers a lot of freedom while it does not require a change in the political system or abiding by any sanctions regimes.
Nicolas Maduro has described his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as “incredible” and declared a “powerful alliance” between Venezuela and Russia, stressing that the two countries are on the same side in “building a new global multipolar order.”
“BRICS is already the epicenter of these major global changes,” the Venezuelan president added.
Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia and Türkiye share “very close” fundamental positions on the crisis in the Middle East.
Speaking to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, the Russian leader suggested that the only way to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict is on the basis of a two-state solution.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has personally invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to pay an official visit to Türkiye.
During their meeting at the ongoing BRICS Summit in Kazan on Wednesday, Erdogan noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had already visited Istanbul last week and expressed hope that Putin would also travel to the country in the near future.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders began the talks by noting growing cooperation between their two countries.
The Russian leader also expressed condolences to Erdogan over a terrorist attack on the headquarters of a defense and aerospace company near Ankara that took place on Wednesday, leaving several dead and over a dozen wounded.
Egypt is ready to increase its cooperation with BRICS members and transition to national currency trade with the group’s partners, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said.
Speaking at an extended meeting of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, al-Sisi said that Egypt considers it “extremely important to further develop cooperation with BRICS, particularly in matters of transition to financial settlements in local currencies, as well as the creation of joint projects with other countries participating in the organization, for example, in the field of industry, digitalization, renewable energy and agriculture.”
Moscow welcomes Venezuela’s desire to join BRICS, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said during a meeting with the South American nation’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
“Our Venezuelan friends share the fundamental values and principles on which the association’s activities are based – respect for each other’s legitimate interests and sovereignty, the sovereign choice of states and peoples, mutually beneficial and fair equal cooperation, and so on,” Putin said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, their first such meeting in five years. The two leaders agreed that “differences on boundary-related matters” should not affect their cooperation, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. He was referring to the four-year military standoff between the neighbors after their troops clashed along the so-called Line of Actual Control.
“[The two leaders] were of the view that stable bilateral relations between India and China... will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity,” Misri stated.
Russia and Iran have a joint task of “consolidating the positive dynamics of trade and economic cooperation,” Vladimir Putin has said during his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. He emphasized that Moscow and Tehran have similar approaches to global issues.
Pezeshkian, in turn, noted that together Moscow and Tehran “can neutralize all and any sanctions” that the West, and the US in particular, may impose against them.
BRICS countries have reasserted their support for the prevention of an arms race in outer space and the weaponization of space, calling for dialogue to adopt a “relevant legal multilateral instrument to ensure global security.”
They have also expressed support for UN initiatives aimed at adopting measures to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists.
BRICS countries have reaffirmed their previously expressed opinions on the Ukraine conflict, and signaled that they welcome mediation initiatives aimed at a diplomatic resolution.
“We recall national positions concerning the situation in and around Ukraine as expressed in the appropriate fora, including the UNSC and the UNGA. We emphasize that all states should act consistently with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation. We note with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices, aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” the member states said in the BRICS Summit declaration.
BRICS member states “reject the unilateral trade restrictive measures [and] sanctions” which the West has imposed on Russia and a number of other countries, according to the group’s Kazan declaration. The group considers such measures “illegal” and “inconsistent with rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO),” as well as undermining the UN Charter and jeopardizing the multilateral trading system.
“We reaffirm our support for an open, transparent, fair, predictable, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory, rules-based and consensus-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, with special and differential treatment for developing countries,” the document states further.
BRICS sees the UN as playing a central role in the global governance system, according to the group’s Kazan declaration.
Member-states, however, have called for “greater and more meaningful participation” of emerging and developing countries, especially from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, in global decision-making processes and structures.
“We reiterate the importance of further enhancing BRICS solidarity and cooperation based on our mutual interests and key priorities and further strengthening our strategic partnership,” BRICS countries said in the joint declaration adopted at the group’s summit in Kazan.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration and consensus.”
Member states have adopted the final declaration of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. According to Vladimir Putin, attendees expressed “consonant” opinions on most issues on the agenda, and are determined to continue their work on building a “more democratic global system.”
The Ukraine and Middle East conflicts could spread to the entire world, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned in a video address to the BRICS Summit in Kazan. He called on global powers to “work together” towards resolving the conflicts and bringing about peace.
“At a time when we are facing two wars with the potential to become global, it is essential to reboot our ability to work together on common goals,” Lula said. “Many want to divide the world into friends and enemies,” he added, stating that this merely bring suffering to ordinary people, who want jobs, food, and a world without weapons.
Lula delivered the remarks via video as he was unable to fly to Kazan for the summit due to a head injury.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Kazan for the BRICS Summit. He is expected to hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss issues including the potential construction of new nuclear power plants in Türkiye, the establishment of a gas hub in the country and the prospects for switching Russian-Turkish trade to the national currencies.
While BRICS leaders have been busy at bilateral talks and panel sessions, BRICS first ladies have been enjoying Kazan and its landmarks. Their program includes a fashion show and several museums, as well as visits to Kul Sharif Mosque and a local Orthodox church.
The BRICS group has the potential to become a medium that helps resolve global challenges, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a BRICS Summit session in Kazan.
“BRICS has been able to achieve a lot in recent years. I am confident that in the near future this organization will emerge as a more effective medium for solving global challenges,” Modi stated, noting that India is fully committed to increasing cooperation within BRICS.
“Our belief in diversity and multipolarity is our strength, and this strength, and our shared belief in humanity will help in giving meaningful shape to a prosperous and bright future for the generations to come.”
The dynamics of international power are undergoing “profound change,” Chinese President Xi Jinping has said at the BRICS Summit. He called on the group’s members to “champion true multilateralism,” urging reforms to the way the world is governed.
“We must ensure that global governing reform is guided by principles of justice, fairness, openness and inclusiveness, and increase the representation and voice of the Global South,” Xi stated. He also noted that China wants to unite more voices in support of a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
Putin has proposed forming a BRICS alliance on artificial intelligence that would be charged with monitoring the development of the technology and the ethics of how it is used
Vladimir Putin has proposed setting up a BRICS-based grain exchange.
“A number of BRICS countries are among the world’s largest producers of grain, vegetables, and oilseeds. We propose opening a BRICS grain exchange, which would facilitate the formation of fair and predictable price indicators for products and raw materials, taking into account their special role in ensuring food security,” the Russian leader stated, adding that the project will help protect national markets from “negative outside interference, speculation and attempts to сause an artificial deficit” of goods.
In time, Putin noted, the grain exchange could be transformed into a full-fledged commodity market.
Moscow has also put forward the idea of creating a separate BRICS platform for trade in diamonds and precious metals.
“The share of BRICS countries in terms of purchasing power parity by the end of 2024 will be 36.7%, which greatly exceeds the share of the G7 countries at around 30%,” Vladimir Putin stated at the extended session of the BRICS Summit.
He noted that the new BRICS investment platform will become a means of support for national economies and investments between members and partner-countries
“The global economy is going through drastic changes, with the center of business activity shifting towards the developing emerging markets,” Vladimir Putin said at the extended session of the BRICS Summit.
According to the Russian leader, “the multipolar model is starting a new wave of growth with the countries of the Global South, Global East and BRICS,” but the challenges left over from the old world order still linger.
“There is still certain crisis potential not only due to political tensions, but the chronic growth of the debt burden, the practice of unilateral sanctions and bad competition. As a result, world trade is being fragmented along with the market of direct investment of developing states.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has arrived in Kazan for the BRICS Summit. According to media reports, he will take part in the summit in the ‘BRICS plus/outreach’ format.
The country’s foreign minister, Maksim Ryzhenkov, has told reporters that Belarus expects to be granted BRICS ‘partner country’ status at the summit, and looks forward to eventually becoming a full member.
“BRICS is a voice for the Global South,” Ben Joubert, South Africa’s BRICS sous-sherpa, told RT on the sidelines of the summit in Kazan. According to Joubert, one of the major reasons “driving the interest in BRICS” is the group’s aspiration to “reform” the UN system, including the Security Council.
“BRICS can make a contribution to ensure that whatever comes out of the reform and strengthening of that system will be truly inclusive of everyone in the world. [Other nations] want to join [BRICS] to be heard in a formation that will speak in one voice for the Global South, the emerging and developing countries,” he stated.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has arrived at the BRICS Summit. He was greeted by Kazan mayor Ilsur Metshin.
Commenting on the unseasonably warm day in Kazan, Metshin jokingly remarked that the Tajik delegation “had brought the sun” to the city.
The prime minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, has arrived in Kazan to participate in the BRICS Summit. In early September, it was reported that Vietnam had been officially invited to the event, while Hanoi also previously expressed an interest in joining the group.
India will not cut ties with Russia despite pressure from the West, analyst Nitin Gokhale told RT on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
“India has never had any reasons to complain [about] Russia or even the Soviet Union… Russia stood by India, India stood by Russia,” Gokhale has said, adding that the partnership between the two countries is not merely “transactional” but has a long history of trust behind it.
The president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has arrived in Kazan for the 16th BRICS Summit.
Putin has proposed to officially form a list of BRICS partner countries during the summit in Kazan and add it to the final declaration.
“It would be wrong to ignore the unprecedented interest of the countries of the Global South to strengthening ties with BRICS. In one way or another, this intention has been expressed by some 30 states… [At the BRICS Summit] in Johannesburg we agreed to work on the modality of cooperation with new partners and to form a list of countries to receive the status of [BRICS] partners. Decisions in this regard should be reflected in the final Kazan declaration,” the head of state said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has kicked off the BRICS Summit session in Kazan. In his opening address, he said that Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the group this year, has been striving to “strengthen the authority of BRICS, enhance its role in global affairs and resolve regional and international challenges.”
“BRICS unites like-minded countries, civilizations, and cultures… All member states stand for equality, good neighborly relations, and mutual respect, for high ideals of friendship, global prosperity, and well-being,” he stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already held one-on-one conversations with nearly all of the heads of state attending the BRICS Summit in Kazan, presidential aide Yury Ushakov has revealed.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he noted that the leaders have discussed “the most important and sensitive issues,” including the Ukraine conflict, during bilateral meetings and at an informal dinner on Tuesday night. Ushakov says Putin also discussed the China-Brazil peace initiative for Ukraine, which many view as useful.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has arrived in Kazan to attend the 16th BRICS Summit. The UAE officially joined BRICS in January of this year.
Al Nahyan also traveled to Moscow last week for the BRICS Business Forum, which preceded the ongoing summit. The UAE leader met with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the forum, and the two discussed “ways to enhance the UAE-Russian strategic partnership and advance development aims,” he said in a post on X on Sunday.
Vladimir Putin is set to hold talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro later on Wednesday on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed.
Maduro has said he hopes to discuss military-technical cooperation between Venezuela and Russia. Upon arrival in Kazan, Maduro called this year’s BRICS Summit a “historic event,” and the BRICS group the “epicenter of a new multipolar world, a new geopolitics, diplomacy and peace.”
The BRICS Summit signals that the world is “tired” of the dictates of the US-led Collective West, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said on Tuesday.
“It shows our fatigue – with them, with their hypocrisy, with their dictates. With their attempts to turn us into something different, with their attempts to chop off pieces from us,” Simonyan stated, addressing attendees at an event marking the anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and China.
“We are all tired. Thank you for the fact that we are tired together and will eventually rest together when the truth prevails and this unipolar world, which is already in tatters, ceases to exist.”
Trade between Egypt and its BRICS partners has jumped 15% over the past year, the country’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics announced on Tuesday. Trade turnover soared to $30.2 billion in the first eight months of this year, up from $26.2 billion in the same period in 2023. Egypt’s key exports to BRICS countries included precious stones and jewelry, as well as fruits and vegetables, while imports focused on electrical and mechanical equipment, fuel, grains, iron, steel, and plastics.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is currently attending the BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.
Pakistan wants to be part of BRICS, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told RIA Novosti on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the annual ministerial meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington.
The country announced last November that it had formally requested to join the group, noting at the time that it expects a decision to be made by the end of this year.
Former Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero has slammed the country’s decision to opt out of BRICS in a post on X. According to Cafiero, BRICS represents “an emerging world of the 21st century” and offers unique opportunities for cooperation in the Global South, but “Argentina is not there” thanks to the policies of President Javier Milei.
“We still don’t know what we’ve gained from the decision of Milei’s government to withdraw Argentina from BRICS,” Cafiero stated.
The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, is en route to Kazan to participate in the ongoing BRICS Summit, as confirmed by his press service on Wednesday. The Tajik leader is accompanied by several high-ranking officials, including the First Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Industry and New Technologies, among others.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi expressed support for the idea to turn BRICS into a platform that could resist international crises, and called for boosting mutual investments within the group “free from any external restrictions.”
“Egypt supports the aspirations aimed at turning the BRICS group into a platform that could counter the current negative situation on the international arena,” he said during the meeting with President Putin earlier on Tuesday. He also stressed the importance of boosting economic relations between BRICS members, “especially between Egypt and Russia.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has arrived in Russia where he will take part in the BRICS Summit. The chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, Farid Mukhametshin, personally greeted the UN chief at Kazan International Airport early on Wednesday.
Türkiye “sincerely” wants to improve its cooperation with the BRICS group, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as cited by Anadolu. Ankara formally applied for BRICS membership in early September, becoming the first NATO state to do so.
The Turkish leader is expected to arrive in Kazan on Wednesday, and will hold a bilateral meeting with President Putin later in the day.
Moscow and Beijing should develop strategic cooperation between BRICS countries “in order to attain new opportunities for the Global South,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin earlier on Tuesday.
“Despite the chaotic and complex situation in the world, trade and cooperation between the two countries in other spheres are actively developing with large-scale cooperation projects being steadily implemented,” the Chinese leader noted, according to China Central Television.
“As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major global powers, China and Russia must expand their comprehensive strategic coordination and closely interact and coordinate their actions within the framework of multilateral structures, such as the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Xi added, as cited by TASS.
Brasilia has a great interest in boosting the use of national currencies in trade between the BRICS members, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told Sputnik.
“The possibility of using local currencies in trade between the BRICS countries is a topic of great interest to President Lula da Silva, and Brazil stands for making this new modality available to economic agents of the group’s members,” the minister said. “Technical discussions will show us the way, but Brazil already has some positive experience in this area, which shows that such an alternative to paying for foreign trade operations is possible.”
Bolivian President Luis Arce has temporarily delegated his powers to Vice President David Choquehuanca as he flew to Russia to attend the BRICS Summit.
“In order to fulfill an important international obligation which will definitely greatly benefit the people of Bolivia, we are going to Russia to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit with its international economic influence growing stronger under the conditions of shifting to a new, more balanced and fair world order,” he wrote on X.
Boosting trade settlements in national currencies between members of the BRICS group is a strategic necessity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier on Tuesday after a meeting with the president of the BRICS New Development Bank, Dilma Rousseff.
The Russian leader emphasized that the use of local currencies instead of the dollar or euro “helps to keep economic development free from politics as far as possible in the context of today’s world,” and would strengthen financial independence and reduce geopolitical risks.
Last month, Putin said that Russia was already actively switching to the use of national currencies in cross-border trade with its BRICS partners, and that the group’s members were jointly developing a payment and settlement framework to be used in trading.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to hold a bilateral meeting – their first in four years – on the sidelines of the summit in Kazan on Wednesday.
“I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters.
India announced on Monday that it has reached a key breakthrough in talks with China following a four-year military standoff between the two nuclear-powered neighbors. The sides agreed to parameters for patrolling the so-called Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the town of Ladakh, to ensure no violations occur. The agreement was the outcome of several rounds of discussions through diplomatic and military channels over the past few weeks.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a very “productive” meeting with the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, in Kazan on Tuesday, during which they “discussed ways to advance bilateral cooperation and reviewed the full range of relations between India and Iran,” according to the Indian Foreign Ministry.
“Had a very good meeting with the President of Iran, Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian. We reviewed the full range of relations between our countries. We also discussed ways to deepen ties in futuristic sectors,” the Indian leader wrote in a post on X.
The discussions reportedly focused on “bilateral relations, including on the importance of INSTC and Chabahar port for regional connectivity.” Modi also raised “concerns about the situation in West Asia, stressed upon protection of civilians and the role of diplomacy in de-escalation of the situation.”
BRICS has become the “most important multilateral organization in the world trying to build this high-speed rail towards a more just, not only multipolar, but multinodal [world], as I prefer to call it,” Brazilian journalist and geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar told RT on the sideline of the summit in Kazan.
“It’s a collection of nodes, different cultures, different civilization states, different ways of thinking, different cultures, but sitting at the same table with mutual respect, which is something that the West… unfortunately forgot,” he explained.
“Not the West in human terms or humanistic terms. Those crass political elites, in fact, they buried diplomacy,” he added. “They don’t, they simply cannot admit that the center, the spiritual, geopolitical, geoeconomic, and cultural center of the planet [is shifting] from West to the East,” he added.”
22 October 2024
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is attending the BRICS Summit in Kazan because the Russia-hosted event is of great significance to the international organization, as the economic bloc represents nearly half of the global population, according to a UN spokesperson.
”This is a meeting of great importance for the work of the United Nations, with the BRICS countries representing about half of the world’s population,” deputy spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. “The Secretary-General will take the opportunity to hold several bilateral meetings with the leaders attending the summit.”
President Putin will continue a series of high-level bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit on Wednesday, including discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, among others. The Russian leader is also expected to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, with additional unscheduled meetings possible during the main summit events.
Relations between Russia and China have reached such a high level that they can be used as an example by other nations, President Vladimir Putin said during his meeting with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
“We can say with full confidence that they’ve become a standard for how relations between two states should be built in the modern world,” the Russian leader stated. He also maintained that cooperation between Russia and China is one of the “stabilizing factors on the world arena.”
Xi praised China’s bilateral relations with Russia and said that, over the past decade, they had come a long way and reached an unprecedented level. The two global powers make a great contribution to “defending international justice,” he added.
The Kremlin has shared a video clip highlighting the first day of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, showcasing the arrival and warm welcome of world leaders, as well as their meetings with President Putin on Tuesday.
The informal dinner with the BRICS leaders, hosted by President Putin on Tuesday evening, culminated in a concert at Kazan City Hall featuring the iconic Russian folk song ‘Kalinka-Malinka,’ according to footage shared by the Kremlin.
The BRICS group has already become the “epicenter of a new multipolar world, a new geopolitics, diplomacy and peace,” Nicolas Maduro told reporters upon his arrival in Kazan, adding that the organization needs the “oil muscles” of Venezuela and Russia.
“I have always thought about the way of our possible integration within a major economic project of development, cooperation, of OPEC member states and others as countries possessing the world’s largest oil reserves,” he said, as cited by TASS.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin to attend the BRICS Summit. The two leaders are reportedly scheduled to meet on the summit’s third and final day on Thursday.
According to WAFA, Abbas is accompanied by Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO Hussein al-Sheikh, Chief Justice of Palestine, Presidential Advisor for Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud al-Habbash, Presidential Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs Majdi al-Khalidi, as well as Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdul Hafeez Nofal.
Moscow and Cairo are calling for an immediate de-escalation in the Middle East, the Egyptian president’s office has said following talks between the nation’s leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
The two leaders “agreed on the utmost importance of de-escalation in the Middle East” and called for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon,” Cairo’s statement read, adding that el-Sisi and Putin also urged all sides to avoid steps that could lead to “further crises.”
Russia and Egypt are aligned in solving many pressing global issues, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said during a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. “We cherish our cooperation in UN platforms,” the Russian leader added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit his country next year, the nation’s foreign ministry has said. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. Modi also hailed Moscow’s “efforts to strengthen multilateralism, advance sustainable development, and push for global governance reform,” the statement read.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has arrived in Kazan for the BRICS Summit.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will take part in the BRICS Summit in Kazan, his office has told journalists. “I can confirm that the Secretary General is once again attending the BRICS Summit,” his deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said. It was previously reported that Guterres had accepted the invitation despite protests from Kiev.
Presidential aide Yury Ushakov says the BRICS leaders have agreed upon a common position on the Ukraine conflict that will be added to the joint summit declaration. He did not reveal the details of what he called the leaders’ “common approach” to the issue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have discussed the Ukraine conflict and global issues at a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told journalists. The spokesman described the talks as “very open” and “constructive.”
A total of 13 nations are seeking the status of “partner state” with BRICS, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov has told the Russian media. The official did not name the countries but said that “consultations” are being held between delegations of the member states on the issue and that the matter will be reviewed by the BRICS leaders.
President Vladimir Putin earlier stated that some 30 nations had shown interest in cooperating with the group in various formats.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived at the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
Over the past decade, Chinese-Russian relations have come a long way and reached an unprecedented level, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. Relations between the two great powers greatly contribute to “defending international justice,” Xi stated.
BRICS is one of the most important platforms for the consolidation of the developing world, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. The group plays a “systemic” role in creating an “equal” multipolar system and “universally accessible inclusive globalization,” he said.
Cooperation between Russia and China is one of the “stabilizing factors on the world arena,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. Over the past 75 years, relations between the two nations have reached the level of a “comprehensive” and “strategic” partnership, the Russian president added.
“This is a standard for how relations between two states should be built,” Putin said, calling ties between Russia and China “equal” and “mutually beneficial.”
The BRICS Summit shows that Vladimir Putin “is far from alone” given the number of heads of state and other high-ranking guests in attendance, CNN reported on Tuesday. According to the news outlet, the event is a “pointed signal” that “an emerging coalition of countries stands behind” Russia.
“The gathering of BRICS and other countries this week spotlights a growing convergence of nations who hope to see a shift in the global balance of power,” the report notes.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has arrived at the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
“We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend who supported us from the beginning, from the days of apartheid, right until now,” Cyril Ramaphosa told Vladimir Putin at a meeting on Tuesday, noting that it was with Russia’s support that South Africa has been able to reach a point in its history where it is no longer divided.
He promised to brief Putin and other BRICS members on the changes his country has recently made in its policies as it seeks to stabilize the political political situation.
“It’s a real joy and pleasure to be here in Russia,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told Vladimir Putin at the summit in Kazan. He praised Russia for the way it is handling its rotating BRICS presidency, and expressed confidence that the country will continue to help the group “grow from strength to strength.”
There are “many promising areas for cooperation” between Russia and South Africa, as well as other African nations, including energy, industry, agriculture, science, and innovation, Putin told Ramaphosa.
“Russia attaches great significance to strengthening cooperation with African countries,” he said.
“Russia and South Africa coordinate efforts on international platforms to establish a fair and multipolar world order,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Putin noted that the relationship between the countries is based on “comprehensive strategic partnership, equality and mutual respect.”
The issue of BRICS expansion is not on the agenda of the summit in Kazan, but it will be discussed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has revealed. He noted that opinions vary on whether the group should accept new members.
By hosting BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia “shows the West that it’s not isolated” and President Vladimir Putin “is no pariah,” Time Magazine reported on Tuesday.
According to Alicia Garcia-Herrero, a senior research fellow at the Bruegel think tank who spoke to the outlet, BRICS “expansion is a clear sign that the global balance of power is shifting.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has departed for the BRICS Summit in Kazan. The leader is scheduled to stay in Russia for three days, and is expected to deliver three keynote addresses outlining Iran’s perspective on global economic cooperation and regional stability.
Cooperation within BRICS is based on mutual respect and benefits, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Izvestia in an interview on Tuesday.
“BRICS does not have the necessary attributes to be an organization… it is rather an association of countries that share common values, common guidelines.”
Putin was momentarily surprised to hear translation at the meeting with Modi, and joked that the level of relations between the two leaders was such that they could understand each other without an interpreter.
“We have such a relationship that I thought you understood everything I say anyway,” Putin said after the Indian interpreter began translating his words for Modi. The Indian premier appreciated the joke, and both leaders laughed.
“As for the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, we regularly keep in touch on this issue. As I said before, I believe that the problem must be resolved through peaceful means,” Modi said at the meeting with Putin.
New Delhi is “ready to offer any possible assistance” to help find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, the Indian leader added.
Indian PM Narendra Modi has lauded Russia's presidency of BRICS at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, thanking the Russian leader for organizing the summit in Kazan.
“Over the past 15 years of its existence, BRICS has successfully established itself, and dozens of countries now wish to join the group,” he stated.
“We deeply appreciate India-Russia cooperation within BRICS, since both our countries are founding members of the association… We’re seeing strengthened cooperation between our legislatures, our foreign ministers are in constant contact, and trade turnover is showing good dynamics,” Putin said at his meeting with Modi.
The Russian leader noted that Moscow has welcomed New Delhi’s decision to open a consulate in Kazan.
BRICS member states need to make a number of critical decisions in Kazan aimed at improving cooperation within the group, Putin has said at a meeting with Modi.
Russia-India relations are developing rapidly, and Moscow values its interaction with New Delhi in the BRICS format, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has received a warm welcome upon his arrival at the Korston Club Hotel in Kazan, where he will be staying for the duration of the BRICS Summit.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has arrived in Kazan for the 16th annual BRICS Summit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced his arrival in Kazan for the BRICS Summit in a post on X written in Russian.
Modi praised the event as “important,” noting that discussions held there “will help make our planet a better place.”
President Vladimir Putin’s program at the BRICS Summit has kicked off with a meeting with the president of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), Dilma Rousseff. Putin has called the NDB a “promising institution.”
A Russian fighter jet was seen escorting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plane as it approached Kazan for the 16th BRICS Summit. The video was filmed from the cockpit of Xi’s aircraft and posted on X.
Kim Dotcom, the founder of the Megaupload file sharing service, has predicted that “the future of the world will be decided” at the BRICS Summit in Russia.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has arrived in Kazan to take part in the BRICS Summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will officially open the BRICS Summit in Kazan with an informal lunch at the Kazan City Hall, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He noted that the head of state had already arrived in Kazan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Kazan for the 16th BRICS Summit. Xi is expected to have bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Cooperation within BRICS is not directed against anyone or anything – neither against the dollar nor against other currencies. Its major goal is to accommodate the interests of countries that participate in this format,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
Peskov was commenting on a report by The Economist, which claimed that BRICS Summit attendees intend to discuss “Putin’s plan to defeat the dollar.”
“Kazan is 100% ready to host the BRICS Summit,” the city’s mayor, Ilsur Metshin, has told RIA Novosti. He noted that authorities in Kazan have set up unprecedented security measures for the duration of the event.
“There has never been a larger-scale event in the history of BRICS... Among the participants are not only BRICS members, but also representatives of other states for whom the idea of a fair multipolar world order and relations built on sincere mutual respect, without dictatorship or blackmail, are important.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Kazan. He is expected to meet with Vladimir Putin later on Tuesday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Kazan, Russia to attend the 16th annual BRICS Summit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is en route to the BRICS Summit in Kazan, state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday morning. Xi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit later this week.
“This year marks the beginning of greater BRICS cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Monday.
“China stands ready to work with other parties to strive for the steady and sustained development of greater BRICS cooperation, open a new era for the Global South to seek strength through solidarity, and jointly promote world peace and development,” the spokesman added.
India “attaches immense importance to BRICS,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X on Tuesday, prior to leaving for the group’s annual summit in Kazan, Russia.
Serbia, which earlier signaled interest in joining BRICS, is sending top officials to attend the group’s summit in Kazan, President Aleksandar Vucic told RTS news outlet on Monday. The delegation will include Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, Economy Minister Adrijana Mesarovic, and Minister for Economic Cooperation Nenad Popovic.
Vucic said he will not be able to attend the event due to scheduling issues amid a visit from several EU officials.
Ukraine has slammed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for reportedly accepting an invitation to attend the BRICS Summit in Kazan, claiming that the move harms the body’s reputation.
Representatives of the Indian diaspora in Russia have gathered at the Korston Club Hotel in Kazan to greet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is arriving later today to attend the BRICS Summit.
“The role of BRICS is to try to bring order to a world which is in a process of enormous change,” Erik Solheim, former under-secretary-general of the UN, has told Chinese broadcaster CGTN ahead of the summit in Kazan.
“It is an opportunity for a much more peaceful world. There is so much for the West to learn from the Global South, and BRICS is an opportunity to bring those lessons to the global table.”
“The historic expansion of BRICS creates further opportunities to foster robust trade and development cooperation,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said at the BRICS Business Forum in the Russian city of Kazan, which preceded the BRICS Summit on Tuesday.
“The group accounts for 27% of global GDP and a fifth of world exports. The opportunities for cooperation and economic progress are immense,” he added. Ramaphosa urged BRICS partners to help in the industrialization of the countries on the African continent.
Particular attention at the BRICS Summit will be given to the potential future expansion of the economic bloc through the proposed category of ‘partner nations’.
The chairpersons of the BRICS New Development Bank, the Business Council, the Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, and the Women’s Business Alliance are expected to deliver reports during the upcoming summit.
Brazilian media reports have claimed the country could veto Venezuela’s potential entry into BRICS. According to G1 news outlet, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is opposed to the idea and has informed his team attending the group’s summit. He will not be able to travel to Kazan due to an injury.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the number of countries engaging with BRICS has been steadily growing, with approximately 34 nations expressing interest in cooperation as of September.
“Our group is expanding. The number of friends and like-minded individuals within the BRICS association has increased, and interest in our activities is very high,” Putin said last week, stressing that the group is not an “anti-Western” organization but “simply non-Western.”
“India values the close cooperation within BRICS,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, prior to boarding a plane to head to the Russian city of Kazan, where the BRICS Summit is kicking off later today.
Modi called BRICS an important platform for dialogue and discussion on issues ranging from the global developmental agenda and reformed multilateralism to economic cooperation and promoting “people to people” connection.
READ MORE: Here’s why Russia’s BRICS presidency is at a critical crossroads
The conflict in Ukraine is not on the agenda for the BRICS summit, but participants are free to “discuss the topic as they see fit,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Izvestia newspaper.
At least 32 countries will be officially represented at this year’s BRICS Summit, most of them by their heads of state. Six international organizations will also send representatives, and this year’s summit may mark the first attended by a UN secretary-general.
Overall, around 20,000 guests are expected to take part in various BRICS events in the coming days, with nearly 2,000 journalists accredited to cover the summit, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Russia assumed the one-year rotating presidency of BRICS in 2024 under the motto ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security’. President Putin has declared that under Moscow’s chairmanship, the group will focus on positive and constructive cooperation.
“Our priorities include promoting cooperation in science, high technology, healthcare, environmental protection, culture, sports, youth exchanges, and civil society,” he said, outlining the bloc’s objectives for the year.
BRICS was originally founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined in January 2024. Saudi Arabia has yet to ratify its membership invitation.