Political
international relations conference
The 2024 BRICS summit was the sixteenth annual BRICS summit, held in Kazan, Russia. It was the first BRICS summit to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members, following their accession to the organization at the 15th BRICS summit.
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Text from the Wikipedia article “16th BRICS summit”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 2024 BRICS summit was the sixteenth annual BRICS summit, held in Kazan, Russia. It was the first BRICS summit to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members, following their accession to the organization at the 15th BRICS summit.
The theme of the event was: “Strengthening Multilateralism for Fair Global Development and Security.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said: "We need peace in Ukraine. A just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and UN General Assembly resolutions."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended the summit, and BRICS leaders called in a statement for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
BRICS members introduced a payment system named BRICS Pay designed to facilitate transactions and the interchange of financial information between central banks of partnered nations, serving as an alternative to the Western interbank system SWIFT. This system will facilitate international settlements.
The BRICS Kazan Declaration has been adopted. BRICS nations endorse reform of the UN and Security Council and the full participation of the State of Palestine in the United Nations, contingent upon the two-state solution. The Kazan Declaration expressed deep concern over the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian Territory, particularly the escalation of violence in Gaza and the West Bank, which resulted in significant civilian harm and displacement. The declaration also noted alarm over the situation in Southern Lebanon and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Additionally, it highlighted the adverse impact of unilateral sanctions on the global economy and the achievement of sustainable development goals. BRICS nations consented to deliberate and investigate the feasibility of creating an autonomous cross-border settlement and depository system. The finance ministers of BRICS nations will persist in evaluating the utilization of national currencies, payment tools, and platforms during the forthcoming Presidency and will report on the outcomes.
The Kazan Declaration emphasized adherence to the UN Charter and supported diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
On 24 October, Russia hosted a plenary session of the 16th BRICS Summit in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format, bringing together CIS leaders, delegations from Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries, and the heads of several international organizations.
Thirteen nations have been added as partner countries of BRICS: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting in Kazan. The presidents affirmed that the China–Russia relations are profound and unchanging even in the current turbulent geo-political situation, and agreed that they must persist in advancing the comprehensive integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, therefore facilitating and bolstering the high-quality advancement of their economies. The parties concurred that, in light of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations and the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II in 2025, China and the Russian Federation will persist in enhancing their comprehensive strategic cooperation and upholding the international system centered on the United Nations. The participants articulated their intention to enhance the BRICS cooperation framework and to achieve "Greater BRICS Cooperation".
Russia expressed interests in an alternative international payment solutions among BRICS nation to avoid US secondary sanctions.
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held their first formal bilateral meeting in five years, since the deadly clash between militaries of the two nations in 2020. The leaders declared they have reached a deal resolving a four-year stand-off, following by complete disengagement of troops. President Xi emphasized the importance of the two ancient civilizations in the global south, stating India-China relations will set an example for other emerging nations.
Modi stated that sustaining steady development of India–China relations is crucial for both nations and their populations, impacting the welfare and future of 2.8 billion individuals, and is also significant for regional and global peace and stability. China and India regard this meeting as constructive and significant, agreeing to approach China-India ties from a strategic and long-term perspective to prevent individual issues from impacting the overall relationship between the two nations.
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held bilateral meetings discussing continuation of Chabahar Port, the International North-South Transport Corridor, reconstruction of Afghanistan, economic and trade linkages to Central Asia, and minimising Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
President Pezeshkian accepted the invitation to visit India offered by India.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin where he called Russia a "valued ally" for its support during apartheid.
Indian prime minister Modi and South African president Ramaphosa chose to attend the BRICs summit instead of the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which was held the same week in Samoa. The Independent observed that this is a sign the two Commonwealth of Nations states "place greater weight on maintaining relations with China and Russia than on the more diffuse attractions of CHOGM".
Two days before the start of the summit, Brazilian president Lula da Silva announced that he would not be attending in person due to a minor brain hemorrhage following a fall. However, he announced he would participate via videoconferencing. Foreign minister Mauro Vieira led the Brazilian delegation in place of da Silva.
Miguel Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, was invited to the summit but stayed in Cuba due to the 2024 Cuba blackout. Aleksandar Vučić, president of Serbia, could not attend due to a conflicting visit from European Union representatives to Serbia. Both Cuba and Serbia sent representatives to the summit in place of their respective heads of state.
The summit sparked significant controversy, particularly surrounding UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Critics, including political scientist Alexander J. Motyl in his article published on The Hill, argue that Guterres’s cordial interaction with Putin, whom the International Criminal Court has charged with war crimes, undermines the moral authority of the United Nations. Motyl and others contend that Guterres’s actions implicitly endorse Putin's aggression in Ukraine, weakening both the UN’s credibility and its position on global justice. Ukrainian journalist Ihor Petrenko echoes this sentiment, condemning Guterres for failing to challenge Putin’s dismissive rhetoric regarding the war. In contrast, scholars like Bahauddin Foizee defend Guterres's engagement with controversial leaders as necessary for maintaining diplomatic channels and fostering peace. Foizee suggests that excluding Russia from international discussions could hinder the UN's broader peace efforts. Meanwhile, Lithuanian leaders, including Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, criticized Guterres for perceived moral inconsistency, noting his attendance at the BRICS summit with Putin and Belarusian President Lukashenko despite not attending a Ukraine-focused peace summit in Switzerland earlier. This, they argued, damages Guterres credibility as an impartial mediator. This debate highlights the complex balance between moral leadership and pragmatic diplomacy in a divided global landscape.
Text from the Wikipedia article “16th BRICS summit”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.