Background: The BRICS group, encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is set for a three-day summit in South Africa. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Details: While the summit is expected to host top leaders of the BRICS nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has opted for a virtual appearance. This decision comes in the backdrop of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in March, connected to child abductions in Ukraine. Despite his virtual participation, Putin is expected to be actively involved, and Russia will also be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Other key attendees include China's Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
So What Does This Mean? The summit, located in Johannesburg's financial hub of Sandton, underscores the growing importance and outreach of the BRICS bloc. With over 20 nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE, showing interest in joining, the summit will host around 1,200 delegates. Notable attendees also include United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and over 40 heads of state.
The primary agenda points towards increased economic cooperation across sectors such as health, education, and climate change. This comes amidst a rising sentiment among developing nations, who feel overlooked by Western-led institutions like the UN, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
Russia's stance within the BRICS has often been to vocalize its anti-Western sentiments. Earlier, Lavrov utilized a BRICS meeting to criticize the West for its dominance and alleged manipulation of financial systems.
Externally, Russia's recent actions, including the halting of Ukrainian exports via the Black Sea and the free grain shipments offered to African nations, are likely to influence discussions and diplomatic overtures during the summit.
I love the way you write this, description and straight to the point, no fluff, just what we need when we need it.
A prisoner in his own country...until he's a prisoner of the Hague. I like it.