The BRICS summit in Kazan will bring together the leaders of Russia, China, India, Turkey and Iran, reflecting Russia’s distrust of the West and the bloc’s growing influence on the international stage.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet several world leaders – including China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Massoud Pezechkian – during a BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan on Tuesday.
BRICS – a group of countries originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – has expanded significantly this year. New members include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have also officially applied, and other countries have expressed interest.
Russian officials already consider the summit a major success. According to Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, 32 countries have confirmed their participation, and more than 20 heads of state will be present.
Yuri Ushakov adds that Vladimir Putin plans to organize around 20 bilateral meetings, suggesting that this summit could become “the biggest foreign policy event ever” on Russian soil.
Why have BRICS gained importance recently?
For Vladimir Putin, this event is essential both on a symbolic level and on an economic level : it will allow Russia to display its links with its global allies, despite tensions with the West, while negotiating agreements aimed at supporting its economy and its war effort.
For the other participants, the summit will be an opportunity to strengthen their image on the international scene, according to analysts.
China and India are particularly important partners for Russia. Moscow will certainly seek to develop its trade to circumvent Western sanctionswith India being a major buyer of Russian commodities and China able to supply essential goods to Russia’s military efforts.
Furthermore, Russia aims to gain wider support for alternative payment system to bypass global SWIFT networkin the hope that a platform involving countries such as China, India, Saudi Arabia and Brazil can be shielded from US sanctions.
What are the different BRICS members looking for?
This summit could allow Iran, a new member of the group, to formalize a strategic partnership with Russiawhile Tehran has recently been accused of supply drones to Moscowwhich both countries deny.
For his part, China sees BRICS as a way to promote alternatives to the US-led global order. Beijing has been a leading advocate of the bloc’s enlargement, and the Kazan summit will deepen economic, technological and military ties between member countries.
If Vladimir Putin will probably seek to emphasize his close relationship with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader has for his part strived for two years to maintain a neutral position vis-à-vis the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
Modi will have to strike a delicate balance, maintaining India’s long-standing ties with Russia while being mindful of Western pressure on Moscow.
Likewise, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, frustrated with the West, will undoubtedly take advantage of the summit to strengthen his position and navigate between the different global power blocs.
This summit will allow Russia to demonstrate its ability to resist Western isolation, but it will also highlight changing global power dynamics, with emerging economies seeking a greater voice on the international stage.
