Greece
Source: moderndiplomacy.eu

As well-known resonating facts, BRICS has many supporters in the Global South and East and doubtlessly commands global authority, and its influence continues growing.

For the past few years, United States global dominance has been of much concern for the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). BRICS has benefited greatly from its expansion and boasts nearly half of the world’s population. In addition, it boasts of huge natural resources and substantial human capital. Their aggregate Gross Domestic Product (GDP) makes up about 40 percent of global GDP in terms of purchasing power parity, more than that of the Group of Seven (G7).

As well-known resonating facts, BRICS has many supporters in the Global South and East and doubtlessly commands global authority, and its influence continues growing. Considering this, it stands to reason that BRICS’s continuous engagement of anti-Western rhetoric and anti-American positions endangers building multipolarity. At this critical time, the world is experiencing tectonic shifts that BRICS has to address in economic development rather than trading geopolitical rhetoric. BRICS must stop its frequent criticisms and move into concrete actions, undertaking investments broadly in the sphere of economic development. Furthermore, it is important to intensify cooperation, design useful initiatives, and pursue an economic development model distinctively different from the Western ones it described as becoming obsolete in this modern world.

Notwithstanding the underlying differences in approach towards changing geopolitical developments and complexities of economic connectivity, the group has uniquely emerged as a geopolitical player and has tremendous tasks to change, most essentially, the economic architecture. Some say the New Development Bank (NDB) is set to embark on its second golden decade of high-quality development and strategic modernization in the Global South. The New Development Bank (NDB) is another instrument, not just for symbolism or as a decorative piece, but for transforming the economy of developing countries and the large proportion of their population that still lives in abject poverty. Geopolitical criticisms and rhetoric will never build a new, better society. BRICS must act better and show trickling results!

Official NDB documents indicated that “it has to mobilize resources, foster innovation, and support impactful projects that advance sustainable development, reduce inequality, and promote infrastructure investments and economic integration.” Therefore, in this situation, anti-Western rhetoric should be considered the worst ingredient for building a multipolar world. The expected multipolar world necessarily requires effective and noticeable actions, and of course, to gain constructive results, aim at raising basic living standards for the people.

During the July BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit held in Rio de Janeiro, United States President Donald Trump threatened to impose trade tariffs, and that position changed the anti-Western and anti-United States language of participating leaders and official speakers. BRICS, in the first instance, admitted and insisted on accepting that the informal association or group is “anti-United States” and “anti-Western” in the context of the current geopolitical rivalry and competition.

Since its inception, BRICS has pursued the task of creating a ‘multipolar world’ and offered guidelines for global governance and prioritized economic growth while gravitating toward the development of markets in the Global South. The enlarged bloc is now characterized by emerging potential opportunities but deepening frictions. BRICS is increasingly experiencing complexities based on their individual priorities and geopolitical orientations.

BRICS further claimed it was completely not against the dollar, the United States currency widely used in the world. This implies that BRICS members are allowed, without any restrictions, to operate with the United States. In this context and to a large degree, Donald Trump used tariffs to control BRICS that boasted of de-dollarizing and isolating the United States. In Washington, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, accused the BRICS association of “seeking to undermine the interests of the United States” and further expressed disappointment in her speech at the media briefing.

Noticeably, BRICS has made it its priority to create a multipolar world and reduce United States global dominance. BRICS can only realize its dominance by investing worldwide; anything short of this remains elusive and a dream. Russia and India are noticeably renegotiating for trade deals with the United States. Russia seeks to reinstate and normalize bilateral relations with the United States.
Far ahead of the BRICS summit, President Vladimir Putin signed a series of decrees that stipulate conditions under which foreigners can make investments in Russia without consideration of counter-sanction decrees of 2022 and 2023. In the past several months, Russia has taken steps to streamline relations, prioritizing re-establishing and/or normalizing economic ties with the United States.

CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, Kirill Dmitriev, now oversees all aspects of American business returning to the Russian Federation. The resetting process of the US-Russia relationship requires creating the bilateral commission to explore a whole range of new opportunities, including economic partnerships that guarantee employment and opportunities for both peoples.

It is interesting to note in this discussion that Russia has more than 1.2 million of its citizens living in the United States, and there are an estimated 15,000 Americans resident in the Russian Federation. In practical terms, the United States symbolizes a more interactive and multipolar country than anywhere else or any other country in the world.

Joining the changing chorus, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “It is really disappointing that when there is such a very positive collective manifestation such as BRICS, there should be others who see it in a negative light and want to punish those who participate. It cannot be and should not be.”

Ramaphosa has faced serious criticisms from South African entrepreneurs, politicians, and the middle class for turning and twisting its spinal bone to the United States. For decades, South Africa and the United States have had excellent trade policy ties and investment relations, especially through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

“We are not anti-American,” reasserted South African Ramaphosa. South Africa has rejected claims that it holds anti-American views and reaffirmed its commitment to securing a trade agreement with the United States. South Africa emphatically stated it remains focused on constructive economic dialogue with the United States.

South Africa’s Trade Ministry spokesman, Kaamil Alli, also told Reuters news agency that the country remains committed to deepening economic ties with Washington. “We still await formal communication from the US in respect to our trade deal, but our conversations remain constructive and fruitful. As we have communicated previously, we are not anti-American,” Kaamil Alli said.

Relations between South Africa and the United States have sharply declined since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Tensions escalated after the U.S. president expelled South Africa’s ambassador and cut financial aid, citing objections to South Africa’s land reform policies and its decision to pursue a genocide case against U.S. ally Israel at the International Court of Justice.

In response, the South African government defended its stance, calling the land reform effort a constitutional measure aimed at addressing historical racial inequalities in land ownership dating back to apartheid. Officials also stressed that no land expropriations have taken place.

Notwithstanding theabove, the point is that South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia (African BRICS members) have significantly changed their language as well, toning down their fierce criticisms for fear of losing trade ties with the United States. These are stark realities that are getting increasingly hard to ignore in the geopolitical context.

South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia are seemingly at risk of extra tariffs as Donald Trump targets BRICS-aligned countries that frequently shout “anti-American policies” and the rest against the West. The BRICS bloc has criticized increasing tariffs as detrimental to global trade, raising concerns for some African countries, including South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia. In addition, Algeria, Nigeria, and Uganda are new African partner countries.

British newspaper The Telegraph has described India as an inconsistent and unreliable partner for Europe. From analysis, India has carefully positioned itself as a neutral player around the world. Historically, India has had relations with Europe and the United States, from where it receives the largest financial remittances back to India. It has to symbolically recognize that the United States and Europe are more comparatively receptive; its estimated 4.1 million people of Indian origin live in the United States. This includes both Indian immigrants and their descendants. The Indian-American population is one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States.

In most of its joint statements, BRICS, originally a coalition of emerging economies, is increasingly positioning itself as a counterbalance to Western-led institutions, such as the G7 and G20. With multilateral diplomacy under strain and Trump’s “America First” approach creating further divides, BRICS has attracted countries seeking alternative alliances.

The 17th BRICS summit was held under Brazil’s presidency from July 6-7 in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, at the summit, this definitive message of BRICS being ‘non-Western’ and not ‘anti-Western’ emerged amid growing geopolitical tensions and the expansion of the group. The BRICS alliance is currently made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, later expanded in December 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. At the end of the historic summit, Brazil handed over the rotating presidency to heavyweight India.

Greece
Source: moderndiplomacy.eu

The recent BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, marked by the “Joint Declaration of the 17th BRICS Summit” and its 126 commitments, firmly established the bloc as a leader in global governance reform. This historic agreement, covering finance, health, AI, and climate change, reflects deep coordination and a vision for a fairer international order. BRICS’s commitment to multilateralism, defending international law, and championing increased participation of developing countries is crucial given current geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, and unilateral actions.

Redefining Global Power Dynamics

The BRICS expanded mechanism, now comprising 11 member nations and 10 partner countries, commands immense demographic and economic weight. Representing over 40% of the world’s population and accounting for approximately 40% of global GDP, BRICS’s collective voice is becoming increasingly influential. This substantial footprint underscores the bloc’s potential to drive positive change and challenge existing power imbalances.

The summit’s declaration explicitly calls for the increased participation of developing countries, especially those in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, in global decision-making processes. This is a direct challenge to the historical dominance of Western nations in international institutions. The emphasis on multipolarity is key, as BRICS believes it creates opportunities for developing countries and emerging markets to realize their constructive potential and benefit from inclusive economic globalization. This perspective directly contrasts with the “zero-sum game” mentality often perceived in traditional global governance structures.

A Comprehensive Agenda for Change

The Summit was not merely about grand statements; it produced concrete commitments across a diverse range of strategic areas, showcasing a comprehensive approach to global challenges.
In the financial realm, BRICS underscored the urgent need to increase the IMF quotas and World Bank shareholding of emerging and developing countries. This move aims to ensure that these crucial global financial institutions truly reflect the relative positions of countries in the global economy, rather than maintaining an outdated power structure. This direct call for IMF quota realignment to benefit developing countries demonstrates BRICS’s determination to reform global financial governance.

Health emerged as another priority, with the bloc acknowledging the interconnectedness of global health challenges. The launch of the Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases is a significant step, signaling BRICS’s commitment to addressing the root causes of health disparities, such as poverty and social exclusion, and promoting health equity on a global scale. This initiative underscores a proactive approach to global public health, ensuring no country is left behind in achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

For the first time, AI governance featured prominently on the BRICS agenda, reflecting a shared Global South perspective on this transformative technology. The leaders recognized AI’s potential for progress but stressed the need for global AI governance to mitigate risks and meet the needs of all countries, particularly those in the Global South. The call for a “collective global effort” to establish AI governance that upholds shared values, builds trust, and ensures broad and inclusive international collaboration and access is a testament to BRICS’s forward-thinking approach to emerging technologies.

On climate change, the summit delivered a clear message ahead of COP30, to be held under Brazilian leadership. The recognition of the Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF) as an innovative financing mechanism for tropical forest conservation and the charting of a Climate Framework Declaration for the next five years highlight BRICS’s collective resolve to mobilize resources for climate action. This proactive stance aims to strengthen their capacity to combat the climate crisis while promoting stronger and fairer economies.

Advocating for Peace and Stability

Beyond specific sectoral reforms, a core pillar of the Rio Declaration is its strong commitment to peace, security, and international stability. The leaders expressed deep concern over ongoing conflicts, the rising trend of global military expenditures at the expense of development financing, and the current international order’s polarization. They advocated for a multilateral approach that respects diverse national perspectives, emphasizing sustainable development, hunger and poverty eradication, and global climate action over attempts to link security with the climate agenda.

Notably, the BRICS declaration took firm positions on key global conflicts, condemning the recent US and Israeli bombardments of Iran as a “blatant breach of international law” and voicing strong support for the creation of a Palestinian state. This stance underscores BRICS’s willingness to speak out against actions that undermine international law and human rights, even when it involves powerful nations.

Furthermore, BRICS voiced serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, deeming them distortive to trade and inconsistent with WTO rules. This direct, albeit indirect, critique of protectionist policies, particularly those threatened by figures like President Donald Trump, demonstrates BRICS’s commitment to upholding the multilateral trading system.

The 17th BRICS Summit was held under complex circumstances, including intensified US pressure on the mechanism. Yet, its successful convening and the achievement of pragmatic outcomes underscore its growing resilience and pivotal role in shaping global development. The summit’s adoption of a simplified, efficient, and practical approach, focusing on key priority areas, ensured tangible results. By reaffirming the “BRICS spirit” of mutual respect, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusion, collaboration, and consensus, the bloc has solidified the foundation for future cooperation within its expanded framework.

As BRICS continues to expand and deepen its cooperation across political, economic, financial, cultural, and people-to-people spheres, it is increasingly demonstrating its capacity to lead the Global South. The establishment of initiatives like the China-BRICS New Quality Productive Forces Research Center and the BRICS New Industry Golden Egret Excellence Scholarships further exemplify the bloc’s commitment to talent cultivation and innovation-driven development.

The Rio Declaration is more than just a document; it is a roadmap for a more just, equitable, efficient, and well-ordered global governance system. By upholding independence, demonstrating a sense of responsibility, and building consensus, BRICS is indeed striving to be the pioneering force in advancing global governance reform, working towards a better world for all.

The United Kingdom
Source: www.middleeasteye.net

Turkey's Brics membership hopes are dashed for now

One year on, Ankara's wish to become a full member to the club lost steam as tensions with India spiked over Turkish aid to Pakistan

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa attend a meeting during the Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 7 July 2025 (Reuters)

Foreign investors were intrigued when Turkey, last year, applied to become the first Nato country to join the Brics economic bloc.

Despite President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's years of public statements hinting that Ankara was considering joining Brics, few believed Turkey would actually take concrete steps toward membership.

Brics - an acronym of its original members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - is seen by some commentators as poised to dominate the global economy in the coming decades.

Often viewed as an alternative to the G7, which is led primarily by western nations, Brics represents a significant shift in global power dynamics, and until now, has not included any Nato members.

One year after Ankara's application, Turkey's prospects for full Brics membership have lost momentum and are likely dead for the foreseeable future.

There were no encouraging signs from the start.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for example, said last June that Brics was not interested in further expansion after adding five new nations in 2024: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Instead, Lavrov said Turkey would be offered a special status called "partner country", along with 13 others.

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Turkish officials, even those with reservations about Brics, were not receptive to the idea of partner status, as it reminded them of Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

Several EU leaders in the past tried to persuade Turkey to accept a "special partnership" with Brussels instead of full EU membership.

Ankara has yet to announce its decision regarding the Brics proposal. Erdogan skipped the Brics summit in Brazil last weekend, sending Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in his place.

While 10 other countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cuba, joined as partner countries, Turkey kept its silence on the issue.

One side issue could also be US President Donald Trump assuming his second term in January. Last month, Trump made it clear he has no love for Brics and said he would impose 100 percent tariffs if the group attempted to create a new Brics currency.

On Monday, he said the US would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the "anti-American policies" of the Brics. Those statements likely concerned Turkish officials who want to maintain the good rapport between Erdogan and Trump.

Adding insult to injury, Indonesia was admitted as a full Brics member in January, despite Lavrov's earlier statements that expansion to integrate new members would be paused. The Brics secretariat explained that Indonesia's membership was decided in 2023 but was delayed until after its presidential election last year, so it was not a new decision.

Although no Turkish officials would say so publicly, sources familiar with the issue told Middle East Eye that China and India had reservations about Turkey's membership last year, effectively blocking Ankara's path to full Brics membership.

"Turkey is Nato," a Brazilian diplomat told MEE in December. "Several countries have concerns about how that would work with the bloc."

The diplomat said India was the chief opponent of Turkey's participation.

Tensions with India

In September, a western diplomat told MEE that Turkey may have been making soft moves to address India's concerns over the Kashmir issue. The diplomat noted that Erdogan did not comment on Kashmir during the UN General Assembly meetings in September, unlike in previous years.

An Indian diplomat, however, told MEE that Erdogan's silence was not a meaningful gesture, as Turkey had signed an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation report in August that assessed the situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

'Turkey is Nato. Several countries have concerns about how that would work with the bloc'
- Brazilian diplomat

In its official statements, India did not directly comment on Turkey's membership but reminded the public that Brics admits new members only by unanimous decision.

Matters deteriorated further this year. The issue came to a complete standstill after the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir was reignited by an attack in April that killed 27 Indian tourists. As India blamed Pakistan and launched a military response, Turkey soon found itself drawn into the conflict.

Indian media, citing sources, repeatedly accused Ankara of supplying drones, weapons, and ammunition to Pakistan during the latest wave of conflict. Some reports even alleged that two Turkish military operatives were killed by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor, and that Turkey provided Pakistan with over 350 drones.

"Turkish advisors helped Pakistani army officials coordinate drone attacks in India after Operation Sindoor," they claimed.

Following the US-brokered ceasefire in May, Indian politicians began campaigns against Turkey for its supposed military aid to Pakistan. First, Indian authorities withheld security clearance for Celebi Airport Services India, a unit of Turkey's Celebi that operates ground handling services at nine Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Why Turkey wants to join Brics

Then, IndiGo Airlines announced it would terminate its leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines by 31 August after pressure from India's aviation regulator.

As Indian citizens launched boycotts against Turkey, including tourism, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline would look for alternative maintenance and repair providers to replace Turkish Technic.

In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Cyprus and met with President Nikos Christodoulides, a move widely seen as a signal to Turkey that New Delhi was deepening ties with countries that have disputes with Ankara.

In another sign of India’s shifting stance, the Indian military linked Turkey to Pakistan during the latest escalation over Kashmir, dashing any hopes that India might support Ankara’s bid to join Brics.

India's Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh said on Friday that Turkey was a component of Pakistan's strategy against India.

"Turkey also played an important role by providing the type of support it did; they supplied Bayraktar and numerous other drones," he said.

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Greece
Source: moderndiplomacy.eu

For the first time since BRICS was established in 2009, Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the annual summit. His absence from the July 2025 gathering in Rio de Janeiro—a meeting that features a dramatically expanded bloc and arrives at a moment of geopolitical flux—suggests that it is more than a matter of scheduling. It is a quiet signal, one that underscores China’s growing discomfort with a bloc that has evolved from a provocative counterweight to the West into a stage for symbolic declarations and internal friction. It is an unprecedented no-show that will be sorely felt while at the same time raising questions about China’s diplomatic priorities and possibly blunting Beijing’s ability to advance its agenda at the summit.

Since becoming China’s top leader in late 2012, Xi has attended every BRICS summit without fail. Word that he would give the upcoming two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro a miss was first carried by the South China Morning Post on June 25. Formal confirmation came on July 2, when China’s Foreign Ministry announced at a routine press briefing that Premier Li Qiang would head to Rio instead.

The Kremlin has said Russian President Vladimir Putin will join virtually, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attending in his place. China has not said whether Xi will similarly join the summit via video link. With no-shows by Xi and Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the only leader attending in person from the original BRIC quartet of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, aside from host President Lula da Silva.

BRICS at a Crossroads: Expansion and Divergence

Originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining soon after, BRICS has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years. What began as a compact group of emerging powers with aligned interests has expanded into a sprawling coalition with a wider, but less cohesive, membership. In 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined the bloc, followed by Indonesia earlier this year.

In parallel with full membership expansion, BRICS has also created a “partner country” category, offering looser affiliation to a second tier of states. Ten nations—including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam—have been granted this status. While these partners are invited to participate in BRICS events, they do not possess the same decision-making authority as full members. With these additions, the enlarged grouping now represents nearly half the world’s population, accounts for two-fifths of global trade, and generates around 40 percent of global gross domestic product when measured by purchasing power parity.

This rapid expansion has generated both opportunity and friction. While Beijing likely viewed earlier rounds of enlargement as diplomatic victories, the influx of new voices—with varying regional priorities and geopolitical orientations—has made coordination and collective action increasingly complex. The aspiration to present a unified Global South voice is increasingly challenged by the reality of divergent national agendas.

Even so, longstanding themes remain prominent on the BRICS agenda. Chief among them is the bloc’s ambition to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar in global trade, reserves, and finance—a goal often referred to as de-dollarization. China has led calls for greater use of local currencies and has even supported the idea of a common BRICS currency. Russia, now deeply estranged from Western financial systems, has joined Beijing in championing alternatives to dollar hegemony. At the 2024 summit in Russia, the country’s leader—President Vladimir Putin—accused the United States (U.S.) of “weaponizing” the dollar, while Xi Jinping echoed those concerns by urging reforms to the international financial architecture and reaffirming China’s support for the New Development Bank.

However, translating financial ambition into functional reality has proven far more difficult. Despite rhetorical momentum, actual progress on de-dollarization has been limited. Key BRICS members like India and Brazil have expressed caution, citing both practical hurdles and broader geopolitical risks. Brasília has consistently stressed the importance of not antagonising its Western trade partners, while New Delhi continues to hedge—engaging with BRICS on one hand, and deepening strategic ties with the U.S. and the G7 on the other.

This divergence in approach has undermined BRICS’ capacity to present a united front. Brazil’s cautious diplomacy and India’s strategic balancing act risk diluting the bloc’s transformative potential. Rather than pursuing structural overhaul, several members appear to favour incremental gains—prioritising trade and visibility over systemic change. As BRICS grows in size and ambition, it also grows more unwieldy, raising fundamental questions about whether the bloc can deliver on its promise to reshape global governance.

A Fractured Family: Strategic Rivalries Within BRICS

Despite public affirmations of unity and South-South solidarity, the relationships among BRICS members are riddled with strategic tensions and mutual distrust. As the bloc expands in scope and ambition, internal divisions have become increasingly difficult to ignore—especially between China and some of its most prominent partners.

The most visible fault line remains the strained relationship between China and India. Tensions have persisted since the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and continue to simmer amid lingering bilateral tensions. Strategic competition is intensifying, with India deepening its security and economic alignment with the U.S. and its Quad partners—moves that Beijing views with suspicion. Further aggravating matters are reports that China has transferred military-grade technology to Pakistan, India’s archrival, during recent episodes of regional tension. Despite their parallel aspirations for regional leadership and stronger multilateral influence, China and India are locked in a complex rivalry where mistrust outweighs cooperation.

China’s relationship with Brazil is more stable on the surface, but caution runs deep. Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil has called for a more multipolar world and strengthened economic ties with China. Yet it continues to hedge strategically, seeking also to maintain close ties with Washington. This quiet resistance may limit Beijing’s ability to project consensus within BRICS and reveals underlying doubts about the group’s balance of power.

Taken together, these bilateral frictions indicate a tough, hard reality: BRICS is no longer a compact coalition of like-minded emerging powers. It is a fragmented and unwieldy grouping, burdened by divergent ambitions and deep-seated distrust. The expansion of the bloc has widened the tent—but it has not necessarily strengthened the foundation. Consensus is elusive, and strategic rivalry increasingly defines what was once billed as a unified front.

Understanding Xi’s no-show

Xi Jinping’s decision to skip the 2025 BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro cannot be viewed in isolation. It reflects a convergence of domestic imperatives and strategic recalibration in China’s approach to multilateral diplomacy. On the home front, Xi faces a growing list of challenges: persistent economic headwinds, sluggish consumer demand, a protracted property crisis, and rising youth unemployment. These concerns have been compounded by renewed tariff threats from the U.S., further straining an already uncertain economic outlook.

Equally pressing is the strategic task of steering China through its next development phase. According to state media outlet Xinhua, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is currently drafting proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), with a month-long public consultation launched in May. Given the importance of this planning cycle to Xi’s long-term vision for national rejuvenation, his direct involvement is likely both necessary and intensive.

In this context, Xi’s absence from the BRICS summit can be seen as a tactical retreat to focus on consolidating domestic stability. But the decision also carries significant foreign policy implications. By delegating representation to Premier Li Qiang, Xi ensures continuity in China’s formal engagement while avoiding the political risks of appearing at a summit marked by internal divisions and growing rivalries—especially with India. His absence removes the possibility of a direct confrontation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reduces the likelihood of contentious interactions that could expose fractures within the bloc.

More broadly, Xi’s no-show aligns with Beijing’s growing preference for selective multilateralism—favoring platforms where China can exert greater control, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or advancing its interests through bilateral channels shaped by economic leverage. On the one hand, BRICS, once a cornerstone of China’s South-South diplomacy, now appears less central to its strategic calculus. The bloc’s recent expansion has made decision-making more cumbersome and diluted the cohesion that once gave it momentum. For China, BRICS is increasingly an unpredictable stage—less a vehicle for coordinated resistance to Western dominance than a forum of competing agendas.

China’s foreign policy strategy has also shifted towards maximizing control over international discourse. While BRICS historically offered a platform to challenge U.S.-led global institutions, its expanded membership has made consensus elusive. For Beijing, the costs of steering such a diverse and fractious group may now outweigh the benefits.

One the other hand, this does not necessarily signal a downgrading of BRICS. China has consistently supported the bloc’s enlargement and remains its economic anchor, accounting for around two-thirds of the economic bloc’s nominal GDP. Beijing is also the largest trading partner for most BRICS members. This structural dominance provides it with continued leverage to shape the bloc’s evolution—albeit more cautiously.

In this light, Xi’s absence encapsulates both a strategic withdrawal and a domestic preoccupation. It reflects an effort to manage internal challenges without abandoning China’s long-term ambition to reshape the international order—just not through a BRICS platform that no longer functions as a cohesive or reliable instrument of influence.

Conclusion

Xi Jinping’s decision to skip the BRICS summit is a quiet but potent signal. It reflects both internal constraint and external recalibration. BRICS, once imagined as a transformative counterweight to the West, is now a fragmented bloc struggling to manage its contradictions. For China, the costs of managing this pluralistic and increasingly incoherent group may now outweigh the benefits.

UAE
Source: www.thenationalnews.com

Brics leaders condemned US and Israeli attacks on Iran and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to withdraw troops from the Gaza Strip, urging “just and lasting” solutions to conflicts around the Middle East.

In a joint statement released on Sunday night, leaders gathered in Brazil agreed to denounce Israeli military strikes on Brics member Iran, which began on June 13 and culminated with US air strikes nine days later.

The strikes “constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations”, according to the declaration.

The 10-member bloc of emerging-market nations also expressed “grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” – quoting Israeli attacks and the obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, something Israel denies – while calling for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, along with the release of all hostages.

The language is part of a broader call for global multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council, to promote peaceful resolutions to continuing military conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

While it does not single out the US, it is probable to be seen as an unwelcome intervention in Israeli affairs as Mr Netanyahu prepares to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

“South Africa remains gravely concerned at the deteriorating peace and security situation in the Middle East,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told fellow leaders during his opening statement Sunday in Rio de Janeiro.

“The recent attacks by Israel and the United States on the Islamic Republic of Iran raise serious concerns of international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the protection of civilians.”

Defence spending and tariffs

Brics leaders additionally “express alarm” at the current trend of “a critical increase in global military
spending”.

That is another clash with Mr Trump’s demand that Nato countries raise defence spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product, a request that was met at last month’s summit of alliance members in The Hague with a particular focus on facing down aggression by Russia, a founding Brics member.

Brics leaders also expressed “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules”, again without mentioning the US.
On Sunday night, Mr Trump said he would levy an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the “anti-American policies” of Brics.

“Any country aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of Brics, will be charged an additional 10% tariff,” he said in a Truth Social post, adding, there will be “no exceptions to this policy”.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is hosting the two-day summit, opened Sunday’s session by repeating the group’s long-standing calls to reform the Security Council to make it more representative of the Global South.

The Brics bloc, named after Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, recently expanded to add Indonesia, Ethiopia, the UAE, Iran and Egypt as members, an effort to increase its clout in global affairs long dominated by Washington and the West.

“Brics is increasingly shaping global debates on development, multipolar governance and security matters,” Mr Ramaphosa said in his remarks. “We must continue to advocate for the urgent intensification of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and ensure sustainable and lasting peace.”

Russia
Source: brics-plus-analytics.org

With the first day of meetings of the BRICS 2025 Summit coming to a close, the bloc’s member economies adopted the BRICS Summit Declaration that encapsulates the main messages of the grouping to the world community. In the economic sphere the main points addressed in the Declaration centered on the reforms of global international institutions such as the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank as well as the introduction of new mechanisms such as the BRICS Multilateral Guarantees (BMG) initiative. Perhaps some of the most important messages in the Declaration were at the very end of the document with respect to the modalities of expansion and the maintenance of the principle of consensus among BRICS members.

With respect to IMF reform (Paragraph 11 of the declaration), the focus centered on the quota share realignment that should reflect the changing realities in the global economy in terms of the rising role of developing countries: “We urge the IMF Executive Board to fulfil the mandate set by the Board of Governors to develop approaches to quota share realignment, including through a new quota formula, under the 17th GRQ at the earliest possible time… We reiterate that further quota realignment in the IMF should not come at the expense of developing countries, reflecting countries’ relative positions in the global economy, and increasing the shares of EMDEs”.

On WTO reform and global protectionist pressures (Para 13) there was the expected rhetoric concerning the protectionist pressures in the world economy (without the specific attribution to any country), with the BRICS economies yet again expressing support for the WTO as the cornerstone of the global trading system: “We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules. In this context, we reiterate our support for the rules-based, open, transparent, fair, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory, consensus-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, with special and differential treatment (S&DT) for its developing members”. The declaration also called for the restoration of the WTO dispute settlement system and expressed support for the accession of two core BRICS economies into the WTO, namely Iran and Ethiopia.

The main innovation this year came with Brazil’s proposal to create the BRICS Multilateral Guarantees (BMG) initiative (para 48) – something that in our view will address one of the key weaknesses in the mechanism of intra-BRICS investment cooperation thus far: “We have commenced the discussions to establish a BRICS Multilateral Guarantees (BMG) initiative … [that] aims to offer tailored guarantee instruments to de-risk strategic investment and improve creditworthiness in the BRICS and the Global South. Building on the lessons of international experiences, we agreed on the guidelines to incubate the BMG within the NDB as a pilot initiative, starting with its members, without additional capital contributions. We look forward to developing this pilot initiative throughout 2025 with a view to reporting on progress at the 2026 BRICS Summit”. The implementation of the initiative should be conducive to raising significantly the scale of co-financing of BRICS/Global South development projects by the private sector.

Perhaps the most important messages in the statement were related to the further expansion in membership and the maintenance of consensus among members (Para 124): “We acknowledge that BRICS growing membership and thematic agenda require adjustments of the group’s working methods. In this regard, we acknowledge the ongoing efforts to update the BRICS Terms of Reference and encourage that this process is carried forward.” My interpretation of these statements is that there may be a need to pause with further membership expansion and work on the modalities of further admissions (perhaps also via articulating more explicit criteria). At the same time, in that very same paragraph there is an important reference to the principle of consensus that is to remain the loadstar of BRICS operations: “We support the refinement of existing practices to ensure that BRICS remains effective, efficient, responsive, inclusive and consensus-based”. Last but not least, the statement also notes the importance for BRICS to be extrovert and open to other developing economies – something that could be interpreted as support for the BRICS outreach activities and the BRICS+ format (the latter, however, is not explicitly mentioned in the Declaration): “We underscore our strong belief that extending the BRICS dialogue and partnership with EMDCs will further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and true international cooperation for the benefit of all.”

Overall, the Declaration reflects the consensus attained by the BRICS grouping within the context of expanded membership, with cautious progression towards new initiatives and the main focus being directed at the integration of new members into the BRICS core. The centrality of the consensus principle underscored in the Declaration likely means that there could be limited scope for plurilateral agreements within BRICS to be forged in the near-term. The unused reserves in BRICS economic policy coordination pertain to South-South trade liberalization, most notably via the cooperation among the regional integration agreements of the Global South. Greater coordination among the regional development institutions of the Global South and their cooperation with NDB could have also been explored by BRICS in greater depth given the rising financing needs of the BRICS+ economies. We continue to expect these important policy tracks to be addressed by the future BRICS Presidencies in the coming years.

You can find the document of the Final Declaration of the BRICS 2025 Summit via the following link:
https://dirco.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025.07.05.-BRICS-Leaders-Declaration.pdf

Yaroslav Lissovolik, Founder, BRICS+ Analytics

Russia
Source: brics-plus-analytics.org

Brazil takes BRICS+ to another level

Last week the focus of the international community has largely centered on the first day of the BRICS summit in Rio, Brazil, which brought together the representatives of the expanded core of BRICS members. But perhaps some of the most important developments associated with the evolution of the BRICS+ format took place on July 7, 2025 during the second day of the summit, with the expanded circle of discussions including the members of the BRICS partnership belt (Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam) as well as the economies invited as part of the BRICS+ outreach. In our view, the BRICS+ event conducted by Brazil in 2025 exceeded the scope of similar outreach efforts in the preceding years, with some of the invited regional development institutions and global organizations participating for the first time.

The BRICS+ summit held by Brazilian presidency during the second day of the summit has extended the period of consecutive BRICS+ meetings to four years – after China in 2022 re-launched the BRICS+ format, it was conducted by South Africa in 2023 and Russia in 2024. This renders the BRICS+ format more entrenched within the framework of BRICS outreach activities and summit meetings. What is important, however, is not only its greater continuity, but also broader outreach in terms of countries, regional institutions and global organizations.

With respect to the national economies invited to take part in the BRICS+ meetings, the majority expectedly came from Brazil’s own Latin American neighborhood – Chile, Colombia, Uruguay participated in the BRICS+ meetings for the first time, while Mexico featured as a veteran of sorts having participated in the first BRICS+ summit in 2017 in China. The participation of all four economies was a notable achievement attained by Brazil in expanding the participation of Latin American economies in BRICS+ outreach activities, with Mexico, Colombia and Chile featuring among the largest economies in Latin America after Brazil and Uruguay playing a key role in regional integration dynamics. Other economies invited to the BRICS+ summit included Kenya, Palestine, Türkiye, the latter still bearing the status of an invited country that is yet to join the BRICS partnership belt.

Another important dimension to the BRICS+ meetings was the participation of the multilateral/regional development institutions, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. These development banks participated in the BRICS+ meetings together with the New Development Bank that celebrated its 10^th anniversary after the launching of its operations back in 2015. Such a format of inviting the regional development banks to participate together with NDB in the BRICS+ meetings was a welcome novelty compared to the outreach exercises of the past and served to render the BRICS+ format more pragmatic and focussed on issues of economic cooperation. The invitation of regional development institutions as well as the representatives of regional integration arrangements (the African Union was among the participants in the BRICS+ Summit as well) was line with our long-standing calls to use the BRICS+ format as a vehicle to develop platforms for the regional integration arrangements as well as the regional development institutions of the Global South[1]. The crystallization of such platforms may take more time and further iterations in the BRICS+ summit meetings.

Perhaps the most important innovation in the BRICS+ outreach exercise this year was the invitation of the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. This was the first such occasion when the head of the key global organization such as the WTO was invited to participate in the BRICS+ summit. As we have argued in the beginning of this year, most notably in our publication “Relaunching globalization: a paradigm shift for BRICS+?” dated January 27, 2025[2], the invitation of global organizations such as the WTO to the BRICS+ meetings would serve to raise the level of such outreach events and would strengthen the links of the BRICS members with key international organizations. The support for the WTO as the cornerstone of the global trading system as well as the call to forge ahead with WTO reform (including via relaunching the operation of the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO) were duly reflected in the summit’s Declaration[3]. In mid-2024 we also called for the BRICS/BRICS+ to support the process of WTO accession for the new members of the BRICS core such as Iran and Ethiopia[4] – something that was also reflected in the summit’s Declaration (Para 13). Other global organizations taking part in the BRICS+ meetings included the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the UN (represented by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres).

Overall, the BRICS+ format is taking the BRICS outreach to new levels of global governance as well as new geographies. Brazil’s contribution to expanding its reach to some of the leading economies of Latin America is a lasting legacy in building the BRICS+ platform. We expect further headway in the coming years in broadening the scope of the BRICS outreach to new regional development institutions as well as regional organizations.

[1] https://www.interanalytics.org/jour/article/view/473/408
[2] https://brics-plus-analytics.org/relaunching-globalization-a-paradigm-shift-for-brics/
[3] https://brics-plus-analytics.org/brics-2025-summit-declaration-unveiled/
[4] https://brics-plus-analytics.org/brics-agree-to-policy-coordination-in-the-wto/

Yaroslav Lissovolik, Founder, BRICS+ Analytics

Brazil
Source: brics.br

On the second and final day of the Summit, a new partnership was established to eliminate Socially Determined Diseases. Nations reaffirm commitment to global efforts for dignity, justice, and equity in health

On the morning of Monday, July 7, in addition to the Leaders’ Declaration approved the previous day, Sunday, July 6, and statements on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence and Climate Finance, BRICS leaders also signed the Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases (SDDs). Partner countries such as Malaysia and Bolivia also endorsed all three thematic declarations.

The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation, mobilize resources, and advance collective efforts to eliminate SDDs in an integrated manner—particularly in the Global South, where these diseases are most prevalent.

“In Brasil and around the world, income, education, gender, race, and place of birth determine who falls ill and who dies. Many of the diseases that kill thousands in our countries would have already been eradicated if they affected the Global North,” said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his opening address.

The Partnership will focus on five core objectives, in alignment with efforts led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relevant international institutions in the field:

• Strengthen resilient health systems and the delivery of essential services by ensuring equitable access to vaccines, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and health education for SDDs, while reinforcing community health services, prioritizing vulnerable populations in regions most affected by SDDs, and advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC);
• Expand cross-sectoral efforts addressing the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach;
• Enhance collaboration in research, development, capacity-building, innovation, and technology transfer among member countries, promoting knowledge-sharing as a strategy to strengthen cooperation and drive innovative solutions tailored to local contexts for the elimination of SDDs;
• Advocate for the removal of financial barriers to eliminating SDDs by mobilizing national and international resources and engaging development banks, financial institutions, donors, and the private sector to ensure sustainable and innovative financing mechanisms;
• Align positions on SDDs within international organizations, including UN agencies such as WHO and UNDP, as well as other relevant forums and private sector stakeholders, facilitating integration into broader international cooperation frameworks and ensuring consistency with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To achieve the Partnership’s goals, BRICS countries will expand and scale existing initiatives aimed at improving case management, extending access to remote areas, strengthening sanitation and housing, combating malnutrition and poverty, and incorporating innovative technologies—such as artificial intelligence, disease diagnostics, drug and vaccine development, and digital tools for surveillance and early detection.

“In Brasil and around the world, income, education, gender, race, and place of birth determine who falls ill and who dies. There is no right to health without investments in basic sanitation, adequate nutrition, quality education, decent housing, jobs, and income,” said President Lula. “We are choosing cooperation and solidarity over indifference—placing human dignity at the center of our decisions,” he added.

In the document, leaders also stressed the importance of initiatives such as the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Center, the Network of Public Health Institutes, and the BRICS Tuberculosis Research Network, which provide a strong foundation for joint research, training, innovation, and public health surveillance. The 17th BRICS Summit concludes today at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. Under Brasil's presidency, BRICS 2025 is being held under the theme: “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”

Brazil
Source: brics.br

At the Rio de Janeiro summit, the group commits to reforming the international financial system and endorses the COP30 Presidency’s goal to mobilize USD 1.3 trillion in climate finance for the Global South


On Monday, July 7, during the second day of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, BRICS leaders made a landmark pledge to mobilize the international community to encourage the International Monetary and Financial System to adopt fairer and more effective measures to expand climate finance. The agreement was formalized during the second day of the 17th BRICS summit.

In the document, the group’s leaders reaffirmed multilateralism as essential to addressing the challenges posed by climate change, especially in the Global South. With optimism, they endorsed the “Baku to Belém Roadmap for USD 1.3 Trillion,” an initiative led by the COP30 Presidency aimed at scaling up climate finance for developing countries, and anticipated to be officially presented in October.

BRICS members highlighted the role of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) as the primary channel for international cooperation on climate issues and reiterated their commitment to the "full and effective" implementation of the Paris Agreement. They also urged countries to revise and strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2030.

"Developing countries will be the most impacted by loss and damage. They also possess the fewest means to finance mitigation and adaptation. The Global South is capable of leading a new development paradigm without repeating past mistakes,” said Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the opening session.

To ensure accessible and sustainable climate finance in the Global South, the group emphasized the need for the availability of concessional resources "to support just transitions, based on nationally determined development priorities that integrate climate action with sustainable development,” the declaration states.

Imbalance between adaptation and mitigation finance

The leaders again underscored that, while developing countries contribute less to climate change, their populations are far more vulnerable to its impacts. They collectively stressed the urgent need to increase the share of finance directed toward adaptation—especially through public funding—to address the current imbalance between adaptation and mitigation finance flows in these regions.

“We emphasize that this imbalance has a disproportionately negative effect on developing countries, particularly on the most vulnerable segments of their populations. We call on developed countries to exponentially scale up their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation and to close adaptation gaps, including at least doubling 2019 levels of adaptation funding by 2025,” the BRICS declaration urged.

Structural change

The BRICS leaders reiterated their commitment to reforming the international financial architecture as a key condition to meet the specific needs of developing countries—such as access to technologies and climate solutions—by “directing the volumes of finance that developing economies urgently need for climate action.”

The group also called upon international financial institutions, including multilateral development banks, to align their operational models, channels, and instruments to respond more effectively to the deepening climate crisis and to eradicate poverty. The declaration further underscored the need for a strategic realignment of the private sector’s role in addressing climate change and acknowledged the importance of blended finance instruments to mobilize private capital and enhance the catalytic role of public funds.

Read the full declaration:
Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance
PDF

Brazil
Source: brics.br

Leaders signed a declaration outlining guidelines to ensure that access to artificial intelligence is fair, equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all countries, regardless of their level of economic development

This Saturday, July 6, during the 17th BRICS Summit, the heads of state of BRICS member countries signed the Leaders’ Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence. The document sets forth a series of guidelines aimed at promoting the responsible development, deployment, and use of AI technologies to support sustainable development and inclusive growth.

According to the document, access to artificial intelligence technologies must be fair, equitable, empowering, and inclusive. All countries, regardless of their stage of economic development, have the right to benefit from, develop, and utilize this emerging technology.

“New technologies must operate under a governance model that is fair, inclusive, and equitable. The development of AI must not become a privilege for a handful of countries, nor a tool of manipulation in the hands of millionaires,” said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the opening address of the day’s second plenary session.

With the adoption of the declaration, leaders recognized artificial intelligence as a unique opportunity to drive progress toward a more equitable future—promoting innovation, increasing productivity, advancing sustainable practices, and improving lives across the globe in tangible ways. At the same time, they emphasized the need for AI to mitigate risks and respond to the needs of all countries, particularly those of the Global South.

The document further acknowledges that while the collaborative governance of artificial intelligence is complex, it remains achievable. In line with the established principles, a network of relevant stakeholders—from both developed and developing countries—should contribute their unique knowledge, perspectives, and resources, each within their respective roles and responsibilities.

With regard to digital sovereignty, the countries affirm the right of all nations to reap the benefits of the digital economy and emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—while upholding fundamental rights. They further underscore the importance of ensuring that each country may:

• establish its own regulatory frameworks;
• build capacity in AI research;
• foster technological autonomy and innovation;
• protect data; and
• stimulate its digital economy.

The declaration also highlights priorities such as strengthening infrastructure, investing in local talent, and protecting citizens from the potential risks of AI.

The summit, which continues through Sunday, July 7, at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, is also expected to produce the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance and the launch of the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases.

English version: Tadeu Azevedo (POET/UFC)
Proofreading: Michel Emmanuel Félix François (UFC)

Brazil
Source: brics.br

BRICS Summit signs historic commitment in Rio for more inclusive and sustainable governance
At the 17th high-level leaders' meeting, BRICS adopted 126 commitments covering global governance, finance, health, artificial intelligence, climate change, and other strategic areas

On Saturday, 6 July, the leaders of the 11 largest emerging economies signed the Joint Declaration of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Entitled "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance", the document seals the group’s commitment to strengthening multilateralism, defending international law, and striving for a more equitable global order. It reflects months of intense coordination, with over 200 meetings held and 200 new cooperation mechanisms created or reinforced in areas such as eradicating hunger, tackling climate change, and developing emerging technologies.

“We want to reaffirm our commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusion, collaboration and consensus. Building upon the past 17 BRICS Summits, we are now extending our commitment to strengthening cooperation within the expanded BRICS, based on three pillars of cooperation: politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and people-to-people cooperation. We are also enhancing our strategic partnership to benefit our peoples by promoting peace, a fairer and more representative international order, a revitalized and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development, and inclusive growth,” states one of the 126 commitments made by the leaders.

At the Summit, BRICS member countries reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and to defending international law, including the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter. The document also calls for the increased participation of developing countries, particularly those in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, in global decision-making processes and structures.

In light of today’s multipolar realities, the countries agreed that it is essential for developing countries to strengthen their efforts to promote dialogue and consultations in pursuit of more just and equitable global governance, and of mutually beneficial relations among nations. “We recognize that multipolarity can create opportunities for developing countries and emerging markets (DCEMs) to realize their constructive potential and benefit from inclusive and equitable economic globalization and cooperation that is universally advantageous. We want to emphasize the importance of the Global South as a driver of positive change, especially amid significant international challenges—including escalating geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, accelerated technological transformation, protectionist measures and migration challenges.”

Finance

In the financial realm, the 11 countries emphasized the need to increase IMF quotas and World Bank shareholding of emerging and developing countries.

"We want to reiterate that IMF quota realignment should not come at the expense of developing countries, but rather reflect the relative positions of countries in the global economy and increase DCEM quotas"

Health

When it comes to health, the countries acknowledged the interconnected nature of global health challenges and their cross-border implications. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening global health governance by enhancing international cooperation and solidarity.

"We are committed to actively supporting efforts to strengthen the global health architecture by promoting equality, inclusion, transparency, and responsiveness. This ensures that no country is left behind in achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals," BRICS’ joint understanding argues.

Another milestone is the launch of the Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases, which promotes health equity and demonstrates the BRICS' commitment to addressing the root causes of health disparities, such as poverty and social exclusion.

Artificial Intelligence

For the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) governance plays a prominent role in the BRICS agenda, offering a shared Global South perspective on this innovative technology and bringing economic and developmental aspects to the forefront of the discussion. In their joint declaration, the countries recognize that AI presents a unique opportunity to drive progress toward a more prosperous future. However, to achieve this, global AI governance must mitigate potential risks and meet the needs of all countries, including those in the Global South. "A collective global effort is needed to establish AI governance that upholds our shared values, addresses risks, builds trust, and ensures broad and inclusive international collaboration and access."

Climate change

In preparation for COP30—also under Brazilian leadership in November—the countries recognized the Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF) as an innovative mechanism to mobilize long-term financing for tropical forest conservation, encouraging ambitious donations from potential partners.

"Our Climate Framework Declaration charts a roadmap for the next five years to transform our capacity to raise resources for fighting climate change. With the collective scale of the BRICS, we will combat the climate crisis while make our economies stronger and fairer,” the document states.

Promoting Peace, Security, and International Stability

One of the pillars of the declaration is its commitment to addressing ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world, and the current polarization and fragmentation of the international order. The leaders express concern over the current trend of sharply rising global military expenditures at the expense of adequate financing for the development of emerging countries. They advocate for a multilateral approach that respects diverse national perspectives and positions on crucial global issues, including sustainable development, hunger and poverty eradication, and global climate action. They also express deep concern over attempts to link security with the climate agenda.

In addition to the traditional leaders' declaration, three other documents reflecting the priorities of the Brazilian presidency were approved: the BRICS Leaders' Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, the BRICS Leaders' Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, and the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases. “These initiatives reflect our joint efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable solutions to pressing global issues."

Translation: Luana Ferreira de Freitas (POET/UFC)
Proofreading: Enora Lessinger (POET/UFC)

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have completed our work at the 17th BIRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, our Brazilian friends who worked with his team at this event for the wonderful organisation of the summit and the traditional hospitality at the meeting that brought together multiple countries from the Global South and East.

Brazilian hosts managed to ensure magnificent intra-BRICS collaboration. In 2024, the Russian Federation chaired BRICS, and everyone thought the summit in Kazan was quite successful. I am confident that similar assessments will be voiced with regard to our Brazilian friends following the summit, now ending in Rio de Janeiro.

Apart from BRICS full members, the summit involved partner states for the first time. I would like to remind you that this category was instituted following the Kazan summit on October 22-24, 2024. These countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. Apart from partner countries, represented in this capacity at the summit, the Brazilian chairmanship invited a number of heads of state and government from the Global South and East countries to take part in some sessions. Everyone was able to see a list of participants in meetings in the BRICS+ and BRICS Outreach format.

Additionally, the heads of UN, WHO and WTO secretariats, as well as the management of multilateral banks (the New Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Development Bank of Latin American and the Caribbean) were invited and addressed the relevant sessions.
Speaking of summit results and documents that were adopted, BRICS countries and their like-mined partners agreed that it is impossible to address numerous contemporary issues without heeding the positions of the Global South and East countries, or the Global Majority.

In this context, everyone noted the role of BRICS as a platform for coordinating the interests of leading countries, the above-mentioned Global Majority, as a key pillar of multipolarity that is objectively replacing the globalisation system which is becoming a thing of the past.

Addressing the BRICS summit via videoconference, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said that the old-time system primarily catered to the interests of the Golden Billion. This era is receding into the past. Everyone prioritises principles being promoted by BRICS as a foundation of a truly multilateral, equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation between all countries.

Russia voices coinciding positions on key international issues. The first plenary session was devoted to this aspect. The participants reaffirmed their common commitment to facilitating the creation of a more equitable, stable and polycentric world order relying on the principles of the UN Charter that should not be used selectively. When undertaking another venture on the international stage, our Western colleagues randomly choose provisions that suit them best at the moment, and use them to justify their actions. It is necessary to apply the principles of the UN Charter just like it was written by the founding fathers and how it was approved and ratified – in all entirety of the main provisions and their interdependence.

A report on the concluding meetings of the BRICS high representatives for security issues has been presented to the BRICS leaders.

Regarding specific aspects of the international agenda, the participants unanimously affirmed that the Israeli and US strikes at Iranian territory were unacceptable and constituted violations of international law, the UN Charter, and IAEA agreements.

In the final Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the first day of meetings, all BRICS states spoke in favour of ceasing all aggression not only against Iran but also in the Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic levels.

There is a shared impression that Israel’s representatives and military intend to pursue similar actions not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank, which seriously jeopardises the prospects of establishing a Palestinian state. All BRICS states supported the implementation of UN resolutions on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We will take all necessary action to ensure these resolutions are not disregarded.

Many participants articulated their positions on the situation in Ukraine both in the Declaration and in their remarks. All speakers maintained balanced and objective stances, demonstrating deeper understanding of the root causes of this crisis — in particular, the security threats to Russia that the West had cultivated for many years, including NATO’s eastward expansion with an explicit objective of absorbing Ukraine and establishing a NATO military machine directly along our borders. However, it is equally critical to ensure that all decisions adopted by the Kiev regime after the 2014 state coup be nullified, as these policies were designed to eradicate everything Russian through legislative means, including the Russian language, education, the media, and culture. Groundwork has been laid recently for banning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The comprehensive approach to global governance reform received particular emphasis, especially regarding the long-delayed reforms of the Bretton Woods institutions, to better reflect the actual weight of Global Majority nations in the world economy. In a unified position, the BRICS countries reiterated their call for accelerated reforms to the IMF’s quota and voting power allocation system.
We emphasised the importance of ensuring that during the reforms, the IMF discontinues certain practices employed within the World Bank group — specifically, the financing of Western-aligned proxy regimes. This practice has been especially evident in the case of Ukraine. The funding allocated through the Bretton Woods institutions in recent years has significantly surpassed the total financial assistance provided to all African countries combined. This is a disgraceful tactic for both the IMF and the World Bank.

Significant attention has been devoted to the reform of the World Health Organisation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom provided insights into the ongoing reform that aims to enhance the efficiency of the Secretariat and reduce bureaucratic procedures. We have noted the necessity of protecting the WHO from politisation, as its fundamental responsibility is ensuring epidemiological security and combating communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The session documents and discussions reflect environmental objectives, including in the context of preparations for the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled for November 10–21, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. It will be the 30th conference. It is of paramount importance that all parties achieved consensus on preventing unilateral dictates in climate change policy and national strategies. Western nations continue vigorous attempts to convince developing countries to allocate increasingly more resources toward green transition programmes while disregarding their own interests in socioeconomic development.

Interstate dialogue is facilitated through such bodies as the New Development Bank, the BRICS Business Council, the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, and the BRICS Civil Council. All high-level officials delivered statements during this summit highlighting sectoral progress. These mechanisms serve as valuable instruments. Participants recognised their role in strengthening collaboration among our countries in finance, the economy, humanitarian and cultural affairs.

We highly praise the accomplishments by BRICS throughout this year. These achievements extend beyond the summit itself and also include dozens of sectoral events spanning economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, technological development, and artificial intelligence.

Regarding artificial intelligence, a statement has been adopted underscoring the imperative to develop mechanisms for AI governance exclusively within the universal formats under United Nations auspices. This approach stands in contrast to restricted consultations among non-transparent compositions of participants selected based on their willingness to obey their seniors.

During the summit, a new BRICS partnership was announced, aimed at combating socially significant diseases. This represents one of the specific contributions by the Brazilian Chairmanship that enriches this group’s agenda. I am confident this initiative will bring further positive outcomes.
The progress achieved by BRICS in relation to AI and public health cooperation will be promoted through relevant international platforms, including the WHO and the UN.

The Brazilian Chairmanship’s programme will continue through 2025 with a schedule of expert and ministerial-level events. For example, there will be meetings for Supreme Court justices, tax administration and customs authority leaders of the BRICS nations.

On January 1, 2026, India will assume the BRICS Chairmanship. During the meeting with my Indian counterpart, we reviewed the programme currently in development in New Delhi. We consider these plans particularly promising, as they will ensure continuity between the work undertaken in 2024, 2025 and the upcoming year.

Question: How would you assess the new BRICS summit format, which now actively involves partner countries?

Sergey Lavrov: This format is relatively new in that several invited nations have been granted the status of partner countries. Their key distinction from traditional guests lies in their permanent participation in all BRICS activities – not only summits and ministerial meetings, but also in most sectoral formats concerning various aspects of economic cooperation and humanitarian issues. That said, the inclusion of a large number of participants is not without precedent in BRICS. Previously, these countries participated in the BRICS Plus and BRICS Outreach formats, or as invitees under the presiding country’s chairmanship.

I recall that at the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, heads of state and government from all African Union member states were invited to participate. While not all attended, over 50 countries were present. In terms of managing such a large forum, there are precedents. However, the fundamentally new aspect of the participation of the ten nations designated as partner countries at the Kazan summit represents a significant step forward in strengthening our group. Further efforts will be required to integrate them fully into the day-to-day affairs of BRICS.

Question: Western media began asserting, even before the summit, that BRICS was losing momentum, claiming that its expansion had “diluted” the group’s ability to act as a united front. They also suggested that President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping refrained from attending for this reason. What is your assessment?

Sergey Lavrov: I believe they are projecting their own concerns because, before their eyes, we have seen the expansion of NATO – a process that has benefitted no one, including the members of the alliance themselves. Divisions within NATO are deepening, with murmurs of dissent growing louder. An increasing number of countries now seek to act according to their national interests, rather than under ideological imperatives imposed by a master.

BRICS has never faced such risks, and there is no threat to the cohesion of our group. Our organisation has always been founded on principles of equality, mutual respect, and consensus – a consensus that reflects a true balance of interests, rather than one dictated by an “big brother.” Therefore, I cannot agree with efforts to artificially present BRICS as an organisation whose purpose is being exhausted. On the contrary, its potential is only just beginning to be realised.

Significant attention was devoted to the reform of global governance mechanisms. I have already mentioned the discussions on reforming the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO during this summit.
In comparison to previous years, an unusually strong emphasis was placed on reforming the United Nations. Predictably, the reform of the Security Council attracted the most attention. The text that was agreed upon reaffirms the need for expansion by addressing the underrepresentation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America – not the West, which already holds more seats than it is entitled to, given the global balance of power. For the first time, the reform of the UN Secretariat has been given detailed consideration. The text explicitly criticises the overrepresentation of Western nationals in leadership positions within the Secretariat. I cited the example of the UN’s senior management: among the many Under-Secretary-General posts, the key positions – those that shape the Secretariat’s operations and thus influence the agenda – are all held by NATO members. Secretary-General António Guterres (Portugal) is supported by a US national overseeing political affairs, a French citizen leading peacekeeping, and a British subject in charge of humanitarian issues. There is also a First Deputy Secretary-General – a Nigerian national who simultaneously holds US citizenship.

Mr Guterres is now advancing his UN-80 concept, which builds upon last session’s General Assembly resolution on development. This outlines concrete steps for Secretariat reform, which demand rigorous scrutiny. Yet, oversight of this process has been entrusted to a newly created Deputy Secretary-General position – unsurprisingly, filled by a British national.

This imbalance is glaring, and efforts such as the UN-80 initiative risk sidelining intergovernmental bodies like the General Assembly in favour of backroom decision-making that serves the narrow interests of specific groups of countries. Russia, together with like-minded nations in New York, has tabled a resolution urging the safeguarding of intergovernmental bodies from attempts to bypass them when addressing matters critical to the future of the UN.

Question: You have held a bilateral meeting with your Iranian counterpart. Does Tehran intend to resume contacts with the IAEA, and in what format? Is Russia ready to assist in mediation?

Sergey Lavrov: Are you asking in what format talks between Iran and the IAEA could potentially resume? That would be within the established Iran-IAEA framework.

From my perspective, the first step should come from the IAEA leadership, which must demonstrate accountability for the assessments it issued and presented to the IAEA Board of Governors just days before the recent escalation. These assessments have been widely regarded as ambiguous, especially when compared to previous Secretariat reports. They appear open to interpretation, suggesting that Iran is not acting in good faith regarding its obligations. As you know, three Western countries (France, the UK, and Germany) were quick to seize upon these assessments and introduce a resolution at the UN Security Council that was sharply critical of Iran.

A day or two later, Israel launched strikes on civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. This created a clear and troubling sequence of events in which the IAEA Secretariat, willingly or not, played a notable role. This is why we believe the Secretariat must now offer assurances that it will strictly adhere to its mandate in the future, avoiding any statements or reports that could be politicised or used to advance unilateral agendas.

As for Russia, we are not talking about mediation. President Vladimir Putin recalled that, when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme was agreed, Russia’s possible role was considered, particularly in depleting the enriched uranium stockpiles accumulated by Iran prior to the agreement, rendering them suitable for peaceful energy use in nuclear power plants. In the years since the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, Iran has not been bound by its earlier enrichment limitations, but now that is the subject of renewed discussions. You have just reminded us that we have the necessary technological solutions. We are ready to provide them, including processing Iran’s surplus highly enriched uranium in Russia and returning it to Iran in a form suitable for energy purposes.

Of course, this would happen if both parties are comfortable with Russia helping to bridge the gap. At present, the US is showing an interest in resuming dialogue with Iran, with support from Oman and several other Gulf states.

It is worth noting that the JCPOA was the result of multilateral diplomacy involving not only the US, but also European partners, Russia, and China, and it was widely welcomed by the international community before its collapse. Should Tehran – its central party – express a desire to move forward, Russia would have no objections to contributing to the mediation effort.

Question: Before his inauguration, Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100 percent tariffs on BRICS countries if they moved ahead with their own currency. And now he threatens to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any country that aligns itself with “the anti-American policies of BRICS.” Will BRICS have its own currency? What about Trump? How would you respond to his statements?
Sergey Lavrov: It is a strange question. US President Trump makes no secret of his goals. He is protecting US interests, primarily economic ones, in the spheres of investment and trade.

This is yet another proof of the end of the globalisation model which the United States has been promoting for years in the neo-liberal context, and which we accepted for some time.
However, the creation of our own currency within BRICS has never been considered with regard to payments. The first impetus towards creating alternative payments platforms was given at the Johannesburg summit. President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advanced that initiative there. Brazil’s proposals were quite extensive. It proposed complementing the declaration with a description of concrete forms of operation of alternative payments. But it was ultimately decided to instruct the central banks and finance ministries to draft proposals on platforms for making settlements through a system of mutual payments that won’t depend on the dollar, because the Democratic US administration was taking unacceptable advantage of the dollar’s place in the global economy and finance. It is for a reason that before his inauguration President Donald Trump openly accused Joe Biden and his administration of undermining the role of the dollar for years to come. They will now have to take into account the fact that trust in the dollar has plummeted.

This is a fact. We have been told for a long time, probably for the past 30 years or longer, that the dollar is not American property but a global asset that ensures the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of the global economy, and that US guarantees should be clear and acceptable to everyone. Nobody knows who will be punished, when or for what. I could provide many examples, but I won’t do it now. Even those who were almost regarded as US allies can’t feel safe.

We didn’t discuss our own currency at BRICS. As I have said, we discussed increasing the role of national currencies. This process is already underway in practice. Second, we talked about a new investment platform and a cross-border payments initiative. Taken together, they offer a set of opportunities to avoid dependence on the dollar and also the euro. During his address to the first session in Rio de Janeiro, President Vladimir Putin mentioned the figure 90 percent, which is the share of national currencies used in mutual transactions with BRICS countries and partner states. I regard this as a good guarantee. This process is also developing in relations with other countries. This is the result of actions taken to punish countries, in this case the Russian Federation, and to destroy the fundamental principles of international trade and international investments, including the inviolability of property, the presumption of innocence and honest competition. All these principles have been thrown away, and we are now witnessing the fragmentation of the organisations that were created according to US patterns during the age of globalisation and pleased everyone until the United States started misusing them.

Question: It is the first time that the final declaration of the BRICS summit has firmly condemned attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and mentioned civilian casualties, including children. This is unprecedented for such a multifaceted association. Can this be interpreted as the BRICS countries’ unanimity on this issue and the development of new international consensus regarding the inadmissibility of attacks on civilian facilities? Will Russia use this declaration as the basis for initiating investigation into these attacks at the UN or other international organisations?

Sergey Lavrov: Of course, if this concerns a declaration that has been approved by the heads of state. It translates as the BRICS countries’ unanimity but not with regard to creating new consensus regarding the inadmissibility of attacks on civilian facilities. Such strikes have long been prohibited in many international conventions, primarily the 1949 Geneva Conventions and subsequent documents. This not only concerns civilian facilities but also civilians, especially children. Therefore, such statements should not be regarded as something extraordinary. This is just another evidence of our commitment to the principles which the international community has approved by consensus and which the West openly disregards. Those who enjoy Western patronage get off scot-free, in particular the Kiev regime.

It is absolutely outrageous that attacks deliberately targeted a perfectly civilian railway infrastructure and perfectly civilian trains using it. These attacks must be condemned, and turning a blind eye on that is unacceptable. However, this is exactly what the representatives of various UN bodies tried to do when we drew their attention to that issue, and officials from the UN Human Rights Council and the OSCE acted likewise.

As for investigating these attacks and calling the culprits to account, we have not added this issue to the international agenda. We are investigating them at the level of the Prosecutor General’s Office and public organisations. We regularly publish the results of such actions and circulate them at the UN and in European international organisations. We will continue with this work. Nobody will escape punishment.

Question: President Trump suggested imposing high tariffs on BRICS countries. How might this impact Russia’s proposal for BRICS to develop an alternative financial system? And what is Russia’s view on the Brazilian decision to decelerate the discussions on these payment platforms and means, and a common currency for international trade?

In the Final Declaration, the BRICS nations issued a strong condemnation of the explosions on Russian territory. How could BRICS’s stance spoil the mediation proposal from Brazil and China?

Sergey Lavrov: Regarding the first question, there is no such thing as a Russian initiative.
As I mentioned, answering one of the previous questions, the emphasis on developing alternative payment platforms and mechanisms was first made in the declaration of the summit in Johannesburg at the proposal of President Lula. He wanted a much more active work on these issues. Eventually, it was decided just to authorise the Central Banks and the ministries of finance to present recommendations on alternative payment platforms for the future summits, and that is what we have been considering. It is not something that only Russia is interested in.

President Lula, by the way, is promoting similar initiatives in the context of CELAC, and we know this. In CELAC, the discussions are much closer to the concept of a currency than in the context of BRICS. And this is understandable because CELAC is a geographically coherent structure. So, frankly, we do not see that there is some kind of deceleration. Not at all. And the statistics reported to the leaders show that the amount of deals which are serviced without using the dollar is growing. The percentage of these deals in the context of overall trade is growing. As regards Brazil and China…

Question: BRICS nations issued a strong condemnation of the explosions on Russian territory.

Sergey Lavrov: Yes, they were condemned. I was just referring to this.

Question: How might this spoil the Brazilian-Chinese proposal for mediation with Ukraine?

Sergey Lavrov: You mean the condemnation of the bombing of the civilian infrastructure?

Question: I mean that they have put a six-point proposal on the table for ceasefire mediation. The Final Declaration might spoil these proposals.

Sergey Lavrov: I do not understand how a position of principle in defence of international conventions prohibiting attacks against civilian infrastructure and peaceful citizens can spoil any initiative with good intentions.

We discussed with our Brazilian and Chinese colleagues the evolution of the Brazil-China initiative.

We noticed, for example, that at one of the meetings of the Group of Friends, created by China and Brazil, which met in New York in March, France and Switzerland participated unexpectedly. France, of course, is one of, if not the most fervent country in the front row attacking the Russian Federation, insisting on continuing to pump weapons into Ukraine.

So, the Chinese-Brazilian initiative was valuable from the very beginning because they said: “We want a neutral objective consideration.” And this would be a counter-balance to the unilateral initiatives which Ukrainians are promoting together with their Western masters, including the so-called Burgenstock Process and Zelensky’s peace formula. I think it would be to the benefit of the Group of Friends of Peace in Ukraine to keep its principles as you referred to in this paper which was circulated.

Since we touched on this situation, Ukraine is the only country where a language, especially an official UN language, is prohibited in all areas of life. Education, media, cultural events, and so on and so forth. After the coup took place in Ukraine in 2014, the Russian language has been persistently exterminated by law. No such example exists in any other part of the world where there are some conflicts, including Israel and Palestine. There is no other conflict in which this matter exists.

It is a gross violation of the UN Charter. I talked to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today. He said yesterday that everybody must respect international law. And then he talked about the territorial integrity of Ukraine. But this territorial integrity principle means that nobody cares about the inherent rights of the people living on those territories. The Charter says: respect for human rights irrespective of race, gender, language or religion. The Russian language and the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine are prohibited by law.

I said, “Look, the West always teaches everybody about human rights, including you, us, China, Venezuela, everybody. They never use the words ‘human rights’ in relation to the situation in Ukraine.” On the contrary, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and others have been saying that Ukraine, fighting against Russia, defends European values. If European values are about cancelling a culture, it is back to Nazism. And, therefore, we do not expect the West to recognise the reality as regards the human rights violations in Ukraine.

Our friends in the Global South, who are interested in promoting their own initiatives, can be in the front of the fight for human rights not as the West wants but as the UN Charter requires.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Thank you, Mr President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

We welcome the emerging trend towards more pragmatic approaches to energy transition with account taken of the full range of national positions. This endeavour must not discriminate against any energy sources or technologies to the detriment of socioeconomic development.

It is likewise clear that all kinds of unilateral sanctions severely undermine efforts to implement the Paris Agreement. In line with the national greenhouse emissions reduction target approved by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, Russia is implementing programmes to cut greenhouse gas emissions, to introduce innovative technologies, to improve energy efficiency, and to promote energy conservation. Russia’s Climate Doctrine envisions achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

We support the outcomes of the 29th session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP29) held in Baku last year. Its central goal was to coordinate a new collective climate funding goal. Despite our Western colleagues’ attempts to evade responsibility to failing to assist the Global South, a balanced final decision with specific resource allocation targets has been adopted. The key now is to ensure that the West’s commitments do not merely remain on paper as happened with their pledge to provide $100 billion annually, a point just highlighted by the distinguished Prime Minister of Egypt. Scaling up efforts to mobilise the necessary funds and to transfer technologies to developing countries is crucial to enhancing their contribution to global emission reduction efforts.

The Declaration, agreed upon under Brazil’s BRICS presidency, reinforces active BRICS projects on climate change and sustainable development, laying a solid foundation for further joint action, including in preparation for the 30th UNFCCC COP in Belem this November.

The new technological and economic paradigm demands special approaches to human capital development, something that was discussed in-depth today. A decade ago, the participants of 2015 BRICS Summit Declaration in Ufa emphasised the importance of cooperation in addressing global health challenges. In response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, BRICS launched efforts to establish a comprehensive early warning system for mass infectious disease outbreaks.

We propose coordinating BRICS actions on reforming the World Health Organisation to help it refocus on its core mandate of safeguarding global health by combatting diseases and monitoring sanitary and epidemiological situations. At the same time, it is vital to counter attempts by certain countries to subordinate the WHO to their own interests, particularly in the sphere of biotechnologies, by exploiting the organisation for overtly geopolitical purposes. It would be beneficial to use WHO platforms to highlight the significance of BRICS health initiatives, such as the successful work of the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre, the expansion of research networks on tuberculosis and public health, and Brazil’s proposed cooperation mechanism to eradicate socially determined diseases.

Other promising areas include nuclear medicine, training skilled personnel for national healthcare systems, advancing innovations in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and producing radiopharmaceuticals and medical isotopes.

Russia has a long tradition of assisting developing nations in healthcare and infectious disease control. Corresponding programmes, including laboratory establishment and vaccine production, are being implemented in 15 African countries.

In closing, please be advised that international drills for rapid-response teams dealing with epidemiological emergencies will be held in Kronstadt, outside St Petersburg, this September. We look forward to welcoming all our partners there.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Thank you, esteemed President L. Lula da Silva,
Esteemed heads of delegations,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Strengthening the multilateral world order while the international system goes through fundamental transformations is one of the crucial tasks for BRICS and for the entire international community. Multipolarity is not a choice but rather an objective reality which succeeds the outdated neoliberal model that actually builds on neocolonial practices. The traditional paradigm of globalization where the predominant role is played by the so-called developed states of the West is becoming a relic.

Economic crises of recent decades have been the first signs of this model’s malfunctions. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed countless disadvantages of the global trade and finance system and accelerated its fragmentation. The erosion of the global economic world order has exacerbated as a result of illegitimate unilateral sanctions and use of dollar as a mean of «punishment». The trust in the American currency as a formerly reliable payment instrument was undermined.

Another negative factor is the rapidly growing debt burden. Since 2011 the number of highly indebted states rose from 22 to 59. Today developing countries are spending on debt service more than they invest into their development. The situation is going out of control even in developed states – the US has seen the record level of sovereign debt which reached 37 trillion dollars and it continues to grow.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the global majority is interested in creating development mechanisms independent from the West. Countries of the Global South and East are becoming a main driving force of the global economic growth. Regional organizations such as the African Union, CELAC, ASEAN, SCO, EAEU are playing an increased role. In this context conceptual and practical approaches are being developed to establish a new architecture of world economy based on the principles of equality, multilateralism and non-discrimination in trade, financial settlements, technology, logistics. In the face of the challenges of digitization and AI a special attention is given to human investment.

Nowadays BRICS stands as an engine of such transformation, which seeks to create a more stable global economic architecture based on the principles of universality, transparency, non-discrimination and equal access to available opportunities and instruments. BRICS countries account for more than 40% of the global gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity, and together with partner countries this figure is at 45% or 93 trillion dollars. Today BRICS represents more than 20% of global trade and almost a half of world population.

As a follow-up to the agreements made at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024, we have been working on projects to create Cross-Border Payment Initiative, independent settlement and depositary infrastructure, to develop reinsurance capacity, to increase the effectiveness of special economic zones. The mechanism of the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, including the use of currencies alternative to dollar, is being improved. The share of BRICS countries in trade with Russia is constantly growing and in 2014 it exceeded 48%, with 90% of mutual settlements made in national currencies.

To deliver on these goals it is of significant importance to pursue the reform and depolarization of the Bretton-Woods institutions which should reflect a real state of affairs in the world economy. The continued use of the IMF and WB with a view to preserve neocolonial practices is unacceptable.

The similar situation is unfolding in the WTO as well. Years-long blocking of the WTO dispute-settlement body and introduction of new discriminatory measures against developing countries such as the notorious EU Transborder Carbon Adjustment Mechanism inflict a serious damage to the global trade. In 2024 an informal BRICS mechanism of consultations on WTO was launched which is developing successfully under the Brazilian Chairship. We look forward to an early harmonization of common positions and start of their practical implementation.

The issues of development financing are becoming more and more pressing. According to the UN, its deficit is estimated at 4,2 trillion dollars per year. If the current trends prevail, more than 600 million people will live in extreme poverty by 2030. Without sufficient funds and being unable to take out credits on acceptable conditions, countries of the Global South have to rely on official development assistance. Given the Western double standards, its provision depends on political considerations. For example, in 2023 the IMF approved an unprecedented credit for Ukraine worth 15,6 billion dollars (577% of Ukraine’s country quota). It makes up more than a third of annual volume of all IMF programs. Since the beginning of 2022 the World Bank has pledged to allocate nearly 54 billion dollars for Ukraine. In total these sums allocated to Ukraine are twice as much as annual volumes of assignations allocated by the Bretton Woods structures to all countries of Africa.

The increasingly aggressive attempts by the West to introduce ideological ultimatums into the dialogue as what are virtually the main criteria – based on Western interpretations of human rights and democracy – are having an extremely negative impact on the delivery of the UN sustainable development goals.

To address imbalances and to mobilize resources for development Russia introduced an initiative to create within BRICS a New Investment Platform with the participation of the New Development Bank (NDB). We thank colleagues for showing their interest to the promising initiative. Its implementation will be facilitated by our joint efforts to turn the NDB into an innovative development institution that is oriented towards the needs of its own stakeholders and that is not subject to the influence of external conjuncture. Increasing the number of stakeholders will strengthen the potential of this mechanism and contribute to the expansion of its geography of operations. We highly appreciate the efforts of NBR President D. Rousseff in this direction.

Artificial Intelligence is becoming a critical technology. Experts estimate that AI contribution to the global domestic product will be at 20 trillion dollars by 2030.

We will need to address issues related to ensuring universal access to advance developments in this field. Secret initiatives put forward by a number of countries and with restricted participation with a view to promote non-consensus approaches are fraught with the most serious consequences. The attempts to artificially isolate sovereign States from global processes are extremely dangerous and doomed to failure. A response to such attempts was the harmonization of the BRICS Joint Statement on Global Governance in the field of Artificial Intelligence which reflects our common position regarding the central role of the UN in developing universally recognized regulation mechanisms in this field.

The challenges associated with the development of digital technologies are transnational in nature and require collective response. The prime example is the adoption of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in 2024 which will be opened for signing in October in Hanoi.

I am convinced that BRICS States together with like-minded countries will continue to lead in promoting a just multipolar world order that will provide favourable conditions for sustainable development of all States without exception. In this work we receive assistance from BRICS Business Council and BRICS Civil Council, Women’s Business Alliance, to which I would like to express my appreciation and wish them every success.

Brazil
Source: brics.br

The bloc calls upon supporting countries to announce "ambitious contributions” to the Tropical Forests Forever Fund

In the declaration adopted at the 17th BRICS Summit, held from Sunday (6 July) to Monday (7 July) in Rio de Janeiro, the group’s leaders expressed their support for the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), a mechanism proposed by Brasil aimed at providing large-scale, predictable, and performance-based payments to countries with tropical forests, with the objective of preserving and expanding forest cover.

Launched at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, the Fund is expected to be delivered at COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Belém, Pará, in November, under the presidency of Brasil.

“We welcome the plans to launch the Tropical Forests Forever Fund at COP30 in Belém and recognize it as an innovative mechanism designed to mobilize long-term, results-based financing for the conservation of tropical forests. We encourage potential donor countries to announce ambitious contributions in order to ensure the timely capitalization and operationalization of the fund,” states the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, endorsed by Heads of State and Government on Sunday.

The BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, launched on Monday, noted that the TFFF holds the potential to serve as a promising blended finance instrument, capable of generating predictable and long-term financial flows for the conservation of standing forests. An initiative of the Brazilian presidency, the document calls on developed countries to fulfil their commitments under the Paris Agreement, including the goal of mobilizing USD 300 billion annually by 2035 to support developing countries.

“The Global South has conceptualized and is building an instrument that will leverage public resources to mobilize private financing at a ratio of 1 to 4, with the objective of protecting tropical forests, an initiative that will make a decisive contribution to the planet’s climate regulation,” emphasized Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, who is attending the summit alongside President Lula. “The support of BRICS is essential to ensure the TFFF becomes operational by COP30 and integrates into efforts to mobilize USD 1.3 trillion in annual climate finance by 2035, as agreed at COP29 in Baku”.

The Fund was also referenced by President Lula during the opening of the third plenary session of the summit, dedicated to the theme “Environment, COP30 and Global Health.” He stated: “The BRICS Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, adopted today, outlines the necessary sources and alternative models for climate financing. The Tropical Forests Forever Fund, which we will launch at COP30, will provide remuneration for the ecosystem services rendered to the planet."

The TFFF has been increasingly recognized as an emerging model for global climate finance. During the London Climate Action Week, held from 21 to 29 June, the Fund received support from both beneficiary and potential donor countries, as well as from the private sector and multilateral organizations.(read more here).

Model

The Fund’s financing model combines public investment with private capital mobilization, aiming to generate approximately USD 4 billion annually for distribution among countries with tropical forests. Payments will be allocated proportionally to each country's preserved area of tropical and subtropical moist forest - following satellite verification confirming deforestation levels below an established threshold. Deductions will apply for each hectare of forest that is deforested or degraded.

This amount is equivalent to three to four times the discretionary budgets of the Ministries of Environment in major forested countries—and dozens or even hundreds of times more than what is currently paid by the voluntary carbon market. In other words, the TFFF holds the potential to exert a transformative impact on national forest conservation policies.

The Fund also distinguishes itself from traditional models through several key elements. It functions as a revenue-generating investment fund rather than a grant-based mechanism; it provides payments for results rather than project financing; it rewards standing forests rather than compensating for avoided deforestation; and it maintains close engagement with Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities, who play a direct role in forest protection. The mechanism proposes allocating at least 20 per cent of national payments to these populations.

Tropical forests regulate the global climate, harbor irreplaceable biodiversity, provide freshwater, and sustain the livelihoods of billions of people. The survival of humanity depends on them. The Tropical Forests Forever Fund presents a transformative opportunity to significantly scale up financial support to countries with tropical forests.

English version: Michel Emmanuel Félix François (UFC)
Proofreading: Tadeu Azevedo (POET/UFC)

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Superfinal of the SCO & BRICS chess tournament

We continue to observe the international chess tournament among the SCO and BRICS countries. We have previously reported on its first and second stages during our briefings on December 18, 2024, and February 27, 2025.

From July 10 to 13, Moscow will host the Superfinal of these competitions. This event will conclude the series of qualifying stages held from December 2024 to June 2025.

The matches will occur in both online and offline formats, gathering over 200 in-person participants and 20,000 online players on the Russian platform myChess.

This platform will bring together Russia’s most formidable young chess players and winners of the qualifying stages from SCO and BRICS countries. Among the invited guests are finalists from regional rounds, selected with the support of the Russian Trade Union of Education, as well as representatives of youth teams from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, South Africa, and the UAE. Teams from Venezuela, Egypt, Iran, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and even France will join the online segment. Young players from the Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Zaporozhye Regions, as well as the Donetsk People’s Republic, will also have the opportunity to display their skills.

Representatives of the Federation Council and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia, alongside several federal ministries, will be present at the opening and awards ceremonies. The business programme will feature international roundtables with experts in education, sports, and youth diplomacy.

The tournament will be broadcast live. In accordance with tradition, all pertinent links will be available in the text version of this briefing. We invite chess players and media representatives to engage in this event.



65th Anniversary of the Russian Children’s Centre Orlyonok



July 12 marks the 65th anniversary of one of our nation’s premier organisations for children’s recreation – the Russian Children’s Centre Orlyonok. Established in 1960 on the Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar Territory, it has evolved into more than just a celebrated children’s retreat; it has become a veritable crucible of talent, where the future luminaries of science, music, art, athletics, and diplomacy are nurtured. Here, young individuals do not merely unwind – they absorb the most vital lessons: friendship without borders, mutual respect, and a love for the Motherland, values of paramount importance in today’s world.

Throughout its six decades, Orlyonok has come to epitomise the continuity of Russia’s pedagogical traditions and its unwavering dedication to the nation’s future. In 2012, it was accorded the status of a UNESCO Associated School, highlighting the humanitarian and cultural mission of its programmes. Yet this recognition only partially encapsulates Orlyonok – its potential reaches far beyond. The centre pioneers distinctive educational initiatives, organises diverse campaigns and projects, and hosts vibrant festivals and sporting events.

Particularly invaluable is Orlyonok’s role as a hub for international children’s collaboration, maintaining ties with friendly nations (those governed by amicable regimes) founded on trust and mutual respect – despite the unprecedented pressure exerted against Russia by the collective West. The camp remains open to all children; there is categorically no reluctance to engage with them based on nationality. Such a notion has never existed and never will.

Each year, Orlyonok welcomes over 20,000 children from every region of the Russian Federation and abroad, demonstrating that children’s smiles and their genuine yearning for peace can thwart the schemes of our adversaries.

We take pride that Orlyonok upholds traditions rooted in the ideals of good-neighbourliness, mutual aid, and sincere, profound affection. We are confident that the Russian Children’s Centre will continue to champion justice, kindness, and patriotism. From the bottom of our hearts, we congratulate the leadership and staff of this outstanding institution.



The 60th anniversary of Russia-Gambia diplomatic relations



July 17 marks the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of The Gambia. Our countries share traditionally friendly ties founded on the principles of mutual respect and consideration for each other’s interests.

Symbolically, this momentous year will see the opening of the Russian Embassy in The Gambia, a step we are confident will provide fresh momentum to bilateral relations. We expect the embassy’s work to significantly enhance mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields. Today, Russia and The Gambia maintain a steady political dialogue and coordinate their positions at the UN and other international platforms.

As you may be aware, The Gambia’s Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara paid a working visit to the Russian Federation last year.

Targeted steps are being taken to expand bilateral trade and economic and investment cooperation, including facilitating access for Russian businesses to The Gambia’s promising market.

Staff training cooperation is picking up pace consistently. Russia has increased its publicly-funded scholarship quota for Gambian students to 15 spots this year.

We are convinced that our joint efforts will ensure the continued progressive development of our mutually beneficial ties for the good of our peoples and in the interests of peace, security, and stability in Africa.



Answers to media questions:

Question: What’s your take on Ukraine withdrawing from the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention considering that the treaty prohibits parties to an active conflict from exiting it before the conflict is over?

Maria Zakharova: First, to set the stage for you, Russia is not a party to this Convention.

Under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, a country engaged in armed conflict cannot legally withdraw until the hostilities end. This rule fully applies to the withdrawal initiated by Ukraine.

Yet, Kiev had already violated the Convention long before this decision. Under the terms of the Convention, Ukraine was required to destroy all stockpiled mines (except a minimal quantity for training/detection purposes) back in 2010, but failed to do so. Russian law enforcement agencies have repeatedly documented the Kiev regime’s use of such mines against civilians, which we have regularly reported to you. These violations went without condemnation by other Convention members even at the 2024 Review Conference in Cambodia. Some countries openly encouraged non-compliance.

Ukraine’s disregard for its obligations confirms Russia’s view of the Convention as weak and unreliable and lacking enforcement mechanisms against violators. Kiev’s withdrawal following similar moves by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia fits the collective West’s broader policy to undermine arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation frameworks. They loudly demand others to adhere to international commitments and prioritise their own security. Each time they come up with far-fetched accusations while doing as they please, justifying their actions with myths and all kinds of fabricated pretexts rather than their own interests.

These actions will inevitably escalate tensions in Europe the security of which Brussels claims to prioritise in words. In reality, this will only make matters with regional and global security worse.

Question: What are your thoughts regarding Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s statement about “the capacity of Russia and Russians to sustain misery and pain,” which, in his words, should never be underestimated and which constitute – and I quote – “the biggest overcoming we need to do here”?

Maria Zakharova: You know, this is one of those rare instances of late where I am prepared to wholeheartedly endorse these words. Not merely in a personal capacity – because it pleases me or because I wish to – but with reference to a text whose full weight we often hear only in truncated form these days.

Take, for example, how frequently Alexander Suvorov’s quotes are cited, almost ubiquitously. I resolved to present one of his statements in full. It is his famed speech delivered in the refectory of the St Joseph Franciscan Convent in the autumn of 1799. The complete text survives in the account of Prince Pyotr Bagration, who recorded it, and was later rendered in the book Tales of an Old Soldier about Suvorov by Colonel Yakov Starkov, a participant in Suvorov’s Swiss Campaign. Published in Moscow in 1847 by Moskvityanin, this work has never been disputed.

Alexander Suvorov (direct quotation based on Prince Bagration’s notes): “To turn back now would be shameful! It would mean retreat – and neither I nor the Russians have ever retreated! We are surrounded by mountains! We stand amidst them! A formidable enemy, emboldened by victory – a victory achieved through treacherous betrayal – will encircle us…. Since the Prut campaign under Emperor Peter the Great, Russian troops have never been in such perilous straits as we are now… never, not for an instant!... For over eighty years, Russia’s martial banners have borne the glory of victories over her foes – a glory echoing from East to West. Her enemies feared her; her allies found in her a steadfast shield. Yet Peter the Great, the greatest of earthly tsars, was betrayed by a petty ruler, a vassal of a mightier sovereign – a Greek! And now, Emperor Paul I, our great sovereign, is betrayed by whom? By Russia’s loyal ally – the court of mighty Austria, or rather, its de facto ruler, Minister Thugut with his Hofkriegsrat! No, this is no mere betrayal – it is outright treachery, cold and calculated, after we shed so much blood to save Austria. Now, we expect no aid. Our hope rests solely in God – and in the supreme courage and self-sacrifice of the troops under your command. We face trials unmatched in history! We stand at the precipice! But we are Russians – God is with us.”

Had Suvorov known then that these words would reverberate not merely in the years, months, or days before his own triumphs – but 145 years before victory in the Great Patriotic War. Though, back then, we were once again liberating Austria. And who could have foreseen that centuries later, history would repeat itself – betrayal anew, even from those whose freedom was bought at the cost of Russian lives?

So President Stubb is right this time. Truly, this resilience is woven into our history, our blood, our philosophy, our faith – and, without question, our future.

Question: US President Donald Trump said that additional tariffs of 10 percent would be imposed on countries supporting BRICS policy. What is Russia’s stance regarding the protection of its interests in light of potential economic sanctions by the United States?

Maria Zakharova: Why should everyone else pay for the mistakes made by the previous US administrations instead of their American regimes and politicians? It is a valid question. Consider the current state of the US economy and what its leaders have done to it, at least what we have observed over the past 15 years. The mockery of common sense, their own economy and their own people by US liberal democrats raise the question: why should the entire world bear the consequences? Would it not be reasonable to propose that former US presidents like Joe Biden or Barack Obama, for example, contribute a percentage of their presidential pensions and allowances? Why not reduce these benefits in the United States to offset some of the costs and damages? Why should other nations – which, by the way, have been exploited for centuries and find themselves indebted to the West once again – pay for the current state of the United States that President Donald Trump wants to restore and make “great again,” as he likes to say?

I am not sure this question should remain rhetorical. It seems to me that this question has a very concrete answer. We closely follow the US administration’s trade policy developments, including the introduction of new tariffs against several countries, such as our BRICS partners.

This sort of rhetoric reaffirms that the United States systematically employs trade and economic instruments – whether unlawful sanctions, tariffs or other measures – as tools of political pressure while masking this behind slogans about fair competition and national security.

It is regrettable to acknowledge that this policy is only eroding the established architecture of economic cooperation, flagrantly violating WTO regulations and free trade agreements – the very frameworks that Washington itself championed as universal truth only recently. Furthermore, I believe this sort of hyperprotectionism does not serve US interests. They should cultivate their competitive ability through domestic changes and seek internal reserves and resources to overcome their crisis rather than endlessly boosting their self-esteem and attempting to resolve their domestic challenges by exploiting others.

Abrupt and unjustified customs tariff hikes by the world’s largest economy certainly carry serious risks for the global economy. All countries will experience the consequences. Inflation will rise worldwide due to realignments of production and supply chains, along with changes in the geography of trade flows. This will trigger cross-sector imbalances, depress labour productivity, and increase volatility across financial and energy markets. Eventually, such policies will lead to a global recession.

At the recent BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, all countries of the group unanimously expressed serious concerns about the unilateral increase in tariffs and non-tariff measures.

Regarding its impact on Russia, our country has long existed under restrictions, barriers and unlawful sanctions – something that has grown into an actual trade war against Russia. In this sense, we truly have unique experience in adaptation and sustainable development under external pressure.

Our country will continue to reinforce its economic sovereignty, and build cooperation with countries that choose rational approaches, healthy pragmatism and, of course, respect for law and lawfulness.

Question: The German newspaper Bild reports that Ukraine is soliciting Germany for weapons worth billions of euros, including 1,500 medium-range Iris-T SLM guided missiles, 500 short-range Iris-T SLS guided missiles, and 200,000 40mm anti-air ammunition rounds to counter Russian drones. What are the implications for regional security? What will Russia’s response be to potential arms deliveries to Ukraine?

Maria Zakharova: These decisions and shipments are being justified as a way to “defend Ukrainian independence” which the West has torn apart. What they are not saying is that such measures are destroying Ukraine and killing Ukrainians.

These decisions won’t affect the goals and objectives of Russia’s special military operation. They only reaffirm the importance of demilitarising and denazifying Ukraine.

The military and political situation in Europe is equally astonishing. We’ve discussed this repeatedly. This situation mirrors the revanchism of Kaiser’s Germany and later Hitler’s regime, which led to two world wars and devastating global consequences which affected Europe and the international situation, and have caused so much pain to the world. All of that happened in Europe and far beyond its borders as well.

The situation is repeating itself right before our eyes. In the 1930s-1940s, transatlantic financial and industrial support fueled German militarism, enabling European military and political crises that boosted the US economy and created a unipolar world.

Now, the West is trying to preserve this model by all means by turning former Warsaw Pact nations - once our brothers (indeed, we, including Ukraine, shared one state - the USSR) - into tools for inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.

Each time we invoke common sense which we need in order to see the results that have been brought about by the actions of these very NATO members to destroy European security, disrupt the fragile balance of power, and undermine global security. But we also see how, in the public sphere, in political circles, and among the general population of these countries, there are indeed not only more questions, but also more demands for their security interests to be respected. Therefore, this rabid Russophobia, this abhorrent nationalism and historical obscurantism must also be replaced by another philosophy. Every time in Western Europe, and not only there, where nationalism and Nazism grew, it all ended... You know how. I already covered this today. I guess we don’t want the situation to get as bad as it has been in the past. Maybe, they should come to their senses before it gets that far.

Question: The 17th BRICS Summit has recently concluded. We noted that during the summit, US President Donald Trump criticised BRICS for allegedly pursuing an anti-American agenda and threatened to introduce new tariffs on countries that support BRICS’s anti-American stance. What is your response? How would you assess the cooperation between China and Russia within BRICS?

Maria Zakharova: I’ve already addressed this when speaking to your colleagues from Izvestia, but I’ll reiterate the main points.

Amid the profound transformation of the global geopolitical landscape, the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China continues to grow steadily. It demonstrates both high adaptability and resilience in the face of rapidly changing external conditions.

Our cooperation, both bilaterally and within BRICS, is not aimed against anyone. I have spoken at length about this earlier today as well. The partnership between Russia and China is constructive by nature. It focuses on strengthening the socioeconomic, innovative, and human potential of BRICS member nations, as well as on supporting practical solutions to the urgent challenges faced by developing countries. This is precisely where we intend to concentrate our joint efforts.

The intense scrutiny and criticism BRICS and other similar alliances have drawn from the West only confirms that we’re on the right track. Not because we seek to provoke anyone, but because from the outset, the West has taken a hostile stance. Apparently, they’ve come to realise that their aggressive posture hasn’t worked. We are ready to respond – not with aggression, but with strength shown through a constructive, forward-looking approach.

Cooperation in the finance sector is one of the key areas within BRICS. This work has been ongoing and consistent, not just from summit to summit or ministerial to ministerial meetings, but through the daily efforts of our experts. All BRICS member countries are committed to achieving tangible progress in this area. This commitment is reflected in the Rio de Janeiro Declaration adopted at the 17th BRICS Summit.

As for the role of Russia-China cooperation within BRICS, let me remind you that our two countries were among the founding members. Our joint efforts with our Chinese partners have been instrumental in shaping the group’s development, creating favourable conditions for steady economic growth across all BRICS countries, and helping to build a more just and balanced multipolar world order that serves the needs of all nations and peoples without exception.

When it comes to expanding cooperation and strengthening the bloc, Russia and China remain aligned in their strategic perspectives. There is even a phrase that captures this spirit: Shoulder to shoulder, we meet all challenges together.

We are committed to working closely with Beijing to enhance BRICS’s standing as one of the central pillars of global governance. Among our key objectives is to increase the representation and influence of developing and emerging economies in multilateral institutions.

I would also emphasise that BRICS truly gives voice to the Global Majority like no other organisation does. It is not a club of countries flaunting their achievements to the detriment of those still on the path to economic success. On the contrary, our goals and efforts are aimed at supporting the Global Majority as a whole.

Question: US President Donald Trump said the other day that he would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any country aligning themselves with BRICS’ policies. He threatened the group before. For example, he stated in November 2024 that there would a 100 percent tariff on BRICS exports if it tried to create its own currency to replace “the mighty US dollar.” What do you think about such threats? Can the aggressive US tariff policy and threats of new taxes accelerate the de-dollarisationprocess and weaken the US dollar on the international stage?

Maria Zakharova: Please note that I have partially answered these questions.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also answered them in detail during a news conference on July 7, following the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro.Here is what he said: “US President Trump makes no secret of his goals. He is protecting US interests, primarily economic ones, in the spheres of investment and trade.”

As for BRICS’ currency, Sergey Lavrov pointed out that this issue had not been discussed at the summit. At the same time, the summit participants talked in detail about enhancing the role of national currencies, a new investment platforms and cross-border payments initiatives.

During his address to the plenary session in Rio de Janeiro, President Vladimir Putin mentioned the figure 90 percent, which is the share of national currencies used in mutual transactions with BRICS countries and partner states.

As for the declining role of the US dollar in the international currency system, this slide was initiated by former President Joe Biden. He demanded that certain countries must be excluded from international US payments establishments. It is Joe Biden and his team who demanded that Russia, which maintains broad trade and economic ties across the world, be cut off from that system. It is Biden who threatened to switch other countries off from that mutual payments systems.

Why are they surprised that these countries don’t want to fall victim to Washington’s or any other’s international blackmail, and that they are looking for alternative payment methods?

We conduct trade on the basis of international law and bilateral agreements. This is legal trade which didn’t cause any complaints before. But they see it as an obstacles, which is why it has become the object of US attacks, sanctions and what amounts to a trade war against our country.

Seething with impotent fury, the United States started cutting off or threatening to cut off countries from that payments system. People started looking for an alternative and found it. The decreasing role of the US dollar in the international currency system is a direct result of President Biden and his team’s actions. That’s why it is for the current US administration to deal with this problem. I would recommend them, first, to assess their losses sand, second, to file a lawsuit. The international community, let alone the Global Majority, has nothing to do with this.

The share of mutual settlements in national currency and direct correspondent relations is growing everywhere. However, neither BRICS nor any other international association where Russia is a member is considering completely moving away from the US dollar or other countries’ currencies. All these deliberations about a hypothetical single global currency don’t stand up to criticism. It’s as if there are no other currencies, and as if they have not proved their worth.

We call for a multicurrency world where all countries and economic operators have equal access to the payment instruments needed for conducting legitimate commercial activities based on law, both international law and national legislations.

Question: The United States is preparing to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine, according to a recent statement by the Pentagon: “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defence is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace.” How can Russia comment on this decision? And how does Moscow assess the impact of ongoing US weapons deliveries to Ukraine on the prospects of potential peace talks?

Maria Zakharova: I have spoken about this briefly today.

We keep hearing contradictory statements from Washington concerning the prospects of military supplies to Ukraine. Just hours before US President Donald Trump promised additional defensive weapons to Kiev, the White House Press Secretary briefed journalists on the reasons for the delayed delivery of air-defence systems. The Press Secretary described the pause as part of standard inspection procedures by the Pentagon, applicable to all military aid that the United States supplies to other countries, not only Ukraine, and stressed that this was a routine verification.

US media recently claimed that the delay in arms deliveries to the Kiev regime was primarily caused by the exhaustion of the Pentagon’s reserves. Now, reportedly, the supplies have been resumed. There are persistent inconsistencies in the reports regarding this matter. But verbal acrobatics aside, everyone has long realised that the US defence industry is pursuing production expansion and subsequently profit maximisation one way or another, and the US will use all available means.

We have repeatedly said that continued weapons transfers to Zelensky’s terrorist regime will prolong the hostilities, devastate Ukraine and eliminate Ukrainians, heightening the risk of uncontrolled conflict escalation, uncontrolled proliferation of arms trafficking, including potential diversion to international terrorist organisations. Overall, these measures undermine the search for a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, which US President Donald Trump calls for so frequently and with such sincere passion, in the good sense of the word.

Moreover, the infusion of more weapons into the profoundly corrupt Kiev regime on such a scale literally incentivises further corruption and larger embezzlement – not of money but of weapons, as substantiated by evidence on multiple occasions. Why do Western-supplied weapons for the Kiev regime get stolen? For trafficking. Where to? Illicit markets, including those for terrorist groups. They have been caught red-handed many times.

Therefore, we truly wish that, first and foremost, the decision-makers in the West could be guided by their own human rights doctrines and realise that their weapons kill civilians. Secondly, since they make these decisions, they should not be surprised when terrorists eventually use their own weapons against them.

Question: Does Russia have a roadmap for developing relations with Afghanistan now that Moscow has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate’s government? What specific actions and agreements can be anticipated in the immediate future? How can Moscow and Kabul work together to enhance regional security?

Maria Zakharova: I should say that the parties began discussions on priorities and specific practical aspects of cooperation even before the credential presentation ceremony. I would like to note, in this context, the Afghan delegation’s productive participation in the 16th Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum International Economic Forum (Kazan, May 13-18, 2025) and the first Russia-Afghanistan Business Forum that was held on the sidelines.

I assume that you have probably followed these events. You can find answers to your question in the proceedings of these international events, official documents and public statements. The parties maintain a substantive dialogue regarding cooperation in trade and the economy, including energy, transport, agriculture, and infrastructure projects. Russia and Afghanistan will develop cultural and humanitarian links. Russia will provide assistance to Kabul in combating terrorist threats and drug trafficking.

Our experts have noted the progress in Afghanistan’s stabilisation efforts with respect to internal affairs, particularly, in narcotics control. UN reports indicate a 14-fold reduction in opium poppy cultivation since 2021, when the Taliban came to power. The area of opium poppy cultivation has decreased from 177,000 hectares in 2021 to 12,800 hectares in 2024.

Let me remind you that, for two decades prior to 2021, these territories had remained under US and NATO control. There is no conclusive answer to the question about the nature of NATO airlift operations from Afghanistan. One would hope this question does not remain rhetorical.

Question: On Monday, the BRICS summit in Brazil, in which Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part, came to a close. Minister Lavrov held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the talks. What are the main outcomes of this forum for Russia?

Maria Zakharova: Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted the results of the 17th BRICS summit during a 45-minute-long news conference that took place after the summit. He covered in detail the work of the Russian delegation during the summit and bilateral talks. You can find his complete statement posted on our ministry’s website.

The very fact that nearly 30 countries from the Global South and the Global East attended the meeting, including countries that chair regional associations, as well as heads of the secretariats of the UN, the World Health Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, and multilateral development banks helps reinforce the voice of the association, which, as President Vladimir Putin noted in his speech at the summit, is becoming increasingly weighty and distinct in the international arena.

This voice supports the legitimate aspirations of the World Majority for a more just, sustainable, and polycentric world order. You will not hear these ideas discussed at Western forums. These words and political language have long been forgotten in the West. This is the routine language of civilised and mutually respectful communication, which the Western minority has banned. It is also a combination of the prospects for building a new polycentric world with the traditions laid down in international law, the UN Charter, and the UN itself.

The discussions revealed the participants’ overlapping or similar approaches to most key international issues. We are grateful to our partners for their balanced position on the Ukraine conflict, their support for the importance of eliminating its underlying causes by political and diplomatic means, and their strong condemnation of the terrorist attacks on railways and bridges in the Kursk, Bryansk, and Voronezh regions in May-June, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including children. You will not hear anyone debate these points not only during Western forums, but international forums either, since, under Western pressure, they have ceased to discuss them. But BRICS has a voice that it can use to speak about this to the world at large.

We find it likewise valuable that the Brazilian presidency has picked up where Russia left off upon completion of its watch in terms of initiatives and agreements that were reached in Kazan following the 16th BRICS Summit. First and foremost, this concerns bringing partner countries onboard at various BRICS ministerial and expert cooperation mechanisms. Their participation benefits our association and significantly strengthens its potential in the emerging multipolar world.

Work continues on the BRICS cross-border payment initiative, on increasing the reinsurance capability of the BRICS members, and expanding the use of national currencies in mutual payments, as well as forming a new investment platform and creating a BRICS Association of Special Economic Zones, the BRICS Grain Exchange, and many others.

We operate on the premise that the mechanisms formed within the association sustain the efforts to increase the resilience of our national economies to restrictive measures and the hyper-protectionist policies of individual states, and also contribute to strengthening the role of the developing countries - the World Majority countries - in international trade and finance.

The technical terms have remained unchanged. They are enshrined in international documents and used in international forums. Is it legit, though, to use the word “developing” in relation to the economic powerhouses of Asia amid a recession in the Western countries that call themselves “developed”? It is surprising and is something to ponder.

We briefly reported that on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a series of bilateral meetings with Bolivian President Luis Arce, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his counterparts from Belarus (Maxim Ryzhenkov), Brazil (Mauro Vieira), India (Subrahmanyan Jaishankar), Iran (Abbas Araghchi), Mexico (Juan Ramon de la Fuente Ramirez), and Türkiye (Hakan Fidan), as well as WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. These are only the meetings in the format of talks, but there were also what diplomats refer to as pull-aside meetings. They discussed pressing bilateral issues and aligned agendas on key international issues, including at multilateral forums.