#RussiaSouthAfrica #BRICS2024

🇷🇺🇿🇦 On October 17, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola spoke over the phone.

The Sides discussed the development of bilateral relations and preparations for the first ministerial conference of the #RussiaAfrica Partnership Forum in Sochi on November 9-10, and the BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 22-24.

⚡️ The XVI #BRICS Summit kicks off in Russia’s Kazan today

During meetings held in both restricted and expanded formats, the BRICS leaders will exchange views on pressing issues on the global and regional agenda. They will discuss the three main pillars of cooperation identified by the Russian chairmanship: politics and security, the economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian ties.

☝️ Particular attention will be given to the potential expansion of BRICS through the proposed establishment of a new category of ”partner nations.“

Reports will also be delivered by the chairpersons of the New Development Bank, the Business Council, the Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, and the Women's Business Alliance.

✍️ The outcomes of these discussions will be summarised in the Kazan Summit Declaration.

On the final day of the summit, a BRICS Plus/Outreach format meeting will be convened, with representatives from nearly forty countries in attendance.

👉 Among them are leaders from the CIS, delegations from numerous Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries, as well as heads of executive bodies from various international organisations.

The agenda includes discussions on pressing international issues, with a particular focus on the escalating situation in the #MiddleEast and interactions between the BRICS countries and the #GlobalSouth in the interests of sustainable development.

🤝 President Vladimir Putin will hold bilateral meetings with nearly all the leaders participating in the summit.

#BRICS2024

#Opinion

Africa's Strategic Realignment: A New Chapter with Russia

By Dr Iqbal Surve, Past Chair of the BRICS Business Council & Co-Chair of the BRICS Media Forum and BRNN & Chloé Maluleke, Associate at The BRICS+ Consulting Group: Russian & Iranian Specialist

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🔹As the world witnesses the shifting tides of geopolitical influence, #Africa stands at a crucial juncture.

🔹 The upcoming #BRICS Summit in Kazan presents the continent with an opportunity to redefine its role on the global stage.

🔹 For decades, Africa has been entangled in systems designed to serve foreign interests—systems that have constrained its potential for economic independence and sovereignty.

🌐 Today, as Africa pivots toward stronger ties with Russia and the BRICS alliance, the continent begins to embrace a future where its voice can finally resonate on equal terms with global powers.

The article was first published on https://www.iol.co.za

#BRICS2024 #Kazan2024 #Russia #Africa

🎙 Excerpt from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview to the newspaper "Arguments and Facts" on BRICS (October 21, 2024)

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❓ Question: A significant number of countries, approximately 30 or perhaps more, have voiced their intention to join this group. Notably, Türkiye, a NATO member, which was rather surprising to me. Conversely, it has been reported that Kazakhstan, through the statement of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's Press Secretary, has expressed no intention of joining BRICS in the foreseeable future. Why is there such activity and interest in this group of nations? Why is everyone invited to join it? What are the future prospects for BRICS? Is it not in competition with other international entities?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: #BRICS epitomises the shifts that have long been underway in the global economy. New centres of economic growth are emerging, and alongside them comes financial influence, which in turn brings political influence.

<...>

BRICS has prioritised the needs of its nations, and interest in the grouping continues to grow. It is a consortium where no single nation leads or is led, devoid of the bureaucratic machinery akin to that observed in Brussels, where EU officials impose decisions that contravene the will and interests of several member states <...>

❗️ Rather than addressing the challenges faced by EU members, the Brussels bureaucracy is preoccupied with the transfer of arms to Ukraine, raising funds for this purpose, and undertaking other actions detrimental to the economy, social sphere, and industry of EU member states.

☝️ BRICS, conversely, does not compel any nation to make sacrifices.

Within BRICS, there is no imposition of such artificial objectives, nor is there an intention to contain any nation.

BRICS is committed to enhancing the combined potential of its nations and devising collaborative strategies for harnessing these potentials for mutual benefit. Consequently, rather than relying on artificial constructs, BRICS formulates plans and projects based on real-world needs. <...>

This is precisely what renders BRICS appealing to the Global Majority nations.

About 30 countries seek to establish ties with the group today. Some of them have applied to join as full participants, and others to participate in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format. We are ready to invite them, and have invited them before to various events as guests of the chair.

Following the decision of last year’s summit, we are working at the level of experts and ministers to prepare a proposal on a new BRICS partner country category. Partner countries will enjoy broad rights and privileges, almost equal to the permanent members of BRICS, with just a few exceptions.

One of the countries that announced their interest in becoming a participant in BRICS – and did it publicly – was Türkiye. The country is indeed a member of the North Atlantic Alliance. <...> For decades, Türkiye has not been allowed to join the European Union, with respective talks hindered in every possible way. It is unlikely that the EU will ever change its negative stance, which is another argument in favour of Türkiye’s increasing rapprochement with BRICS.

<...>

🤝 What makes BRICS and other Global Majority or Global East associations that do not include Western countries stand out, is that they are not created for the purpose of struggling or fighting with anyone. They are established to collectively benefit from their competitive advantages such as geographical location, shared history, cultural and humanitarian proximity, and coherence of economic systems, as is the case of the former Soviet republics. This is an objectively occurring process.

The West has been proving time and again that it is not just willing, but never hesitates to use illegal sanctions against any country it sees as a threat to its economic domination, violating the global market economy principles it supposedly champions. All countries see this.

#BRICS2024

#BRICS2024

🇷🇺🇿🇦 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa hold talks on the sidelines of the XVI BRICS Summit.

📍 Kazan, October 22, 2024

#RussiaSouthAfrica

📸 #PhotoOfTheDay

🇷🇺🇧🇷🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦🇪🇹🇮🇷🇪🇬🇦🇪 Joint Photo of the leader of the BRICS nations' delegations at the XVI BRICS Summit 🤝

📍 Kazan, October 23, 2024

#BRICS2024