KAZAN, Russia (AP) – China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi and other world leaders arrived in the Russian city of Kazan on Tuesday as the Kremlin rallied against Western influence. He arrived in the Russian city of Kazan to attend a summit meeting of the developing countries of the BRICS countries, which he hopes to make the most of. In world affairs.
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the three-day meeting is also a powerful way to demonstrate the failure of U.S.-led efforts to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov touted the summit, attended by 36 countries, with heads of state from more than 20 of them represented, as Russia’s “largest foreign policy event ever held.”
Initially comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the alliance quickly expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied for membership, and several other countries have expressed interest in joining.
Observers see the BRICS summit as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to show support from the Global South and help expand economic and financial ties amid rising tensions with the West.
Proposed projects include the creation of a new payment system that would provide an alternative to the global banking messaging network SWIFT and allow Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions and do business with partners.
Putin was scheduled to hold about 20 bilateral meetings in conjunction with the summit, including talks with Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and was scheduled to meet with Xi later in the day.
The summit underscored the close ties between Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin, weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The two sides have already met at least twice this year, in Beijing in May and at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in 2020. Kazakhstan in July.
Cooperation between Russia and India is also flourishing, as New Delhi considers Moscow a proven partner dating back to the Cold War, despite Russia‘s close ties with India’s arch-rival China.
Western allies want India to be more active in persuading Russia to end the war in Ukraine, but Prime Minister Modi has avoided blaming Russia while emphasizing a peaceful resolution.
Prime Minister Modi, who last visited Russia in July, said: “I believe that the issue should be resolved peacefully and I fully support the early establishment of peace and stability.”
President Putin praised the “privileged strategic partnership” between Russia and India.
During his meeting with President Ramaphosa, the Russian president emphasized the two countries’ common efforts towards a “fair multipolar world order” and made particular reference to efforts by BRICS member states to create a “new independent payments system”. .
On Thursday, Putin is also scheduled to meet with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who is making his first visit to Russia in more than two years. Guterres has repeatedly criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
