Galaxy of world leaders in ‘isolated Russia’ for BRICS 2024
Over two dozen world leaders are currently in Russia City of Kazan to attend BRICS 2024 Summit.
Kazan (Russia): BRICS comprises of 5 founder member countries and 4 new entrants, and its summit should naturally be for the 9 member countries. However, over two dozen world leaders are currently in Russia City of Kazan to attend BRICS 2024 Summit.
BRICS 2024 Summit started under the presidency of what the west believes “isolated” Russia. But, the scene at the inaugural ceremony of the 16th edition of the BRICS Summit was a slap on the U.S. led west.
Attended by the UN Secretary General António Guterres and other world leaders, the BRICS Russia Summit is billed as the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia in decades.
The 3-day summit opened Tuesday October 21, 2024 is being held at the backdrop of Russia-Ukraine war, and Israel-led Zionist massacre in Palestine and Lebanon.
Those in attendance for the BRICS 2024 Summit besides Russian President Vladimir Putin and UN Secretary General Guterres are Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping, Indian PM Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Other world leaders who are in attending the BRICS 2024 Summit are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cancelled his trip to Russia after suffering a head injury in a fall at home on October 19. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira will now represent the country at the summit.
BRICS 2024 Agenda
Launched in 2006, BRICS originally comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as new members Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE, which joined in January.
An invitation to join BRICS has also be extended to Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom however has yet to give a call.
Argentina was also invited, but President Javier Milei withdrew shortly after taking office in December 2023.
In a move which could lead to further expansion of BRICS, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Tuesday said a referendum on the possibility of joining BRICS could be held in Serbia in light of the economic bloc’s growing popularity in the country.
Vucic’s comment came after Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said earlier this month that instead of EU membership, Serbia would explore the option of joining the BRICS economic group, which is currently chaired by Russia, according to Russia Today.
The group aims to amplify the voices of emerging economies and provide a counterbalance to the influence of Western powers in global governance. With member nations accounting for about 45% of the world's population and nearly 28% of the global economy, the significance of BRICS is on the rise.
But, the central theme that unites BRICS members is their disillusionment with Western-led institutions of global governance, especially when it comes to the economy.
In 2014, BRICS established the New Development Bank, which has funded nearly $32 billion in infrastructure projects by 2022. While there is speculation about a potential BRICS currency, the economic diversity among member nations makes this unlikely for now.
At BRICS 2024, a major push on de-dollarization is also expected. Ahead of the inaugural session of the BRICS Russia, Putin without mincing words said “world economy needs to be free from the clutches of American dollar”.
Putin also said “de dollarisation” is strategic necessity.
A joint statement and declaration by the BRICS nation will follow after concluding session Thursday October 24, 2024.
As of now, what Putin has already achieved by hosting over two dozen world leaders is blowing away the US led western design of isolating Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised Guterres, saying that while he did not accept an invitation to attend a Ukraine-backed peace summit in Switzerland in June, “he did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin."
"This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the UN’s reputation”, he added.
[With inputs from Al Jazeera]
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