BRICS Summit Ends, Group Hopes to Become “Global Stabilizing Force”

Leaders and government representatives from 36 countries and 6 international organizations, including the UN, who attended the final meeting in the expanded format of the 16th annual BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, said in a joint statement that the group “should become a stabilizing force that will strengthen international security based on international law and the principles of multipolarity.”

Discussions centered on the economy, trade between BRICS member countries and the group’s partners, the international agenda with a focus on crisis resolution, as well as international security, counter-terrorism, climate change, and cooperation with the global South and East.

Russian President and host Vladimir Putin has repeatedly expressed concerns, shared by other BRICS members, about escalating tensions in the Middle East. In this context, Putin warned that “the entire Middle East is on the verge of a full-scale war,” reiterating the need to reach a peace agreement based on international law. Speaking about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Putin emphasized that the former Soviet sister country “is being used by the collective West to create critical threats to Russia’s security.”

The Russian president said that “all BRICS countries believe that the conflict in Ukraine should be resolved peacefully as soon as possible.” According to Putin, it is necessary to create “an equal and indivisible security system in Eurasia for the peaceful development of all states on the continent.”

The argument was developed by UN Secretary General António Guterres, according to whom “BRICS will be able to contribute to the defense of the sovereignty of other countries.” Guterres also emphasized the need for “reforms at the UN to ensure that the UN Security Council reflects the entire modern world.”

Another important BRICS goal that the next president, Brazil, will have to focus on is reforming global financial governance to “unlock the enormous potential of emerging economies.”

Contrary to predictions, no new memberships were announced at the Kazan summit: the group decided not to integrate new full members for 2024 (Turkey is also on the waiting list), but accepted 13 countries as “official partners” of BRICS. Joining the group in this capacity are Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) discussed with Putin the prospects of Ankara joining BRICS.

Nine countries are now full members of BRICS: the original members were Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, joined in January 2024 by the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia, with Saudi Arabia still to complete some formalities of the accession process. Argentina had been expected to join for some time, but withdrew its bid after Javier Milei was elected president of the Latin American country.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after the summit that Turkey’s membership in BRICS “would be very important” for all member countries of the international organization. “Turkey is a major regional power and plays a very important role in world affairs. So everyone is interested in inviting Turkey to this process,” the Kremlin spokesman said, emphasizing, however, that “BRICS is interested in Turkey as an independent country, not as a NATO member.”