On Tuesday, 22 October, the XVI BRICS Summit opens in Kazan. Representatives from 36 countries will spend three days discussing cooperation in the areas of politics and security, economics and finance, and cultural and humanitarian exchanges. On this day, a welcoming ceremony will be held for the heads of delegations arriving for an informal lunch. The following day, 23 October, meetings will be held in both narrow and expanded formats, after which summit participants will attend a formal reception.

On the final day of the event, delegates will participate in two plenary sessions in the BRICS+ format, after which the Kazan Declaration will be adopted. The results of the high-level meeting on 24 October will be announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference.

The head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, in an interview with CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS, expressed confidence that the event will be organised to a high standard. He also highlighted that extensive preparations had been undertaken in Kazan for the summit, including road improvements, upgrades to the airport infrastructure, and the construction of new tourist attractions. According to him, these developments will positively impact the lives of the city’s residents.

In the capital of Tatarstan, leaders of BRICS countries, heads of government, and other political figures are gathering. Among those already in Kazan are Vladimir Putin, Prime Ministers of India and Ethiopia Narendra Modi and Abiy Ahmed, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, President of the BRICS New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, Sri Lanka’s Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane, and Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. Guests are welcomed with a traditional Tatar dish, chak-chak.

Additionally, this morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping flew to the city. Representatives of six international organisations are also expected at the summit, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Brazilian economist-analyst Pepe Escobar said in an exclusive commentary to TV BRICS on the margins of the summit that the key objective of the Kazan meeting was to lay the groundwork for reforming the global financial system. “It’s the most important geopolitical and geoeconomic event of this year, probably of this decade and probably of this millennium. It’s immensely important,” he emphasised.

Analyst Ankit Shah from India also identified financial interactions as the most significant topic of discussion at the summit. “I think finance is the most important area of cooperation between BRICS countries because all other processes depend on it. If you are able to bring multipolarity in economics, especially the payment system, <…> it will automatically open up opportunities for more cooperation in other areas,” Shah said.

On the eve of the summit, Yury Ushakov, Aide to the Russian President, stated that the leaders of 22 countries would take part in the BRICS Summit. He mentioned that the meetings would cover issues of financial cooperation within the group, the further expansion of membership, including through partnership mechanisms, as well as topics related to sustainable development and food security.

The summit in Kazan, held from 22 to 24 October, is a key event during Russia’s BRICS chairmanship, which is taking place under the motto “Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security.” This will be the central theme of the discussions among the BRICS states.

Photo: Ilya Pitalev, Maksim Blinov, Aleksey Filippov /Photo agency brics-russia2024.ru