On 22, October 2024, almost two-dozen world leaders will converge in Kazan, Russia, for three days of summitry by the BRICS group–five emerging economies trying to muscle their way into the planetary spotlight. It will be the biggest summit ever held in Russia since the war in Ukraine began and, therefore, will prove that efforts at isolating Moscow have failed.
Among the most awaited guests of the summit are Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the report, all three leaders – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also present among them- have already arrived in Kazan.
Discussions to include a proposed Brics-led payment system intended to rival the SWIFT network also join the agenda now that Russian banks were barred from that network in 2022. Discussion about ongoing conflicts in the Middle East is also likely to dominate the agenda.
Modi hailed a “special and privileged strategic partnership” between India and Russia but then referred to such important issues as climate change as part of the summit agenda. Nonetheless, the United States takes a relatively skeptical view of the BRICS group as a potential geopolitical competitor and has raised concerns over Russia’s attempts to strengthen its hold amid the spate of hostilities.
Political pundits say that this summit tries to demonstrate connectivity with international partners against the backdrop of isolation from Russia at present. The choice of Kazan capital city of the Muslim majority region of Tatarstan the Kremlin is a symbolic gesture of solidarity towards the Global South.
Bilateral negotiations by leaders have resulted in the strengthening of security in Kazan as there are fears that the region may be some of the preferred targets for Ukraine for long-range attacks by drones. The specific summit will be significant as it might alter the face of international diplomacy and the future of new policies.
To Read More: Global