The Russian president made his remarks on Thursday via video link on the occasion of the XIV BRICS Summit, which was also addressed by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The authority and influence of the BRICS on the world stage is constantly growing because it is connected with economic, political and human potential, and they are deepening interaction across the entire spectrum of issues on the global and regional agenda,” Putin said.
The president also said that the BRICS countries could count on the support of many Asian, African, and Latin American nations that strive to pursue an independent policy respecting international law and the UN Charter’s key principles.
As for the current global economic crisis, Putin said that through financial mechanisms, Western countries are transferring their own mistakes in macroeconomics to the world, thus leading to such a problematic scenario.
In addition, he said that Russia is willing to further develop close diversified cooperation with all the group’s partners. Likewise, Putin said Russia seeks to enhance its role in international affairs, especially in the so-called “BRICS plus” format, including new emerging countries like Argentina.
The BRICS partnership comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These five countries account for 41 percent of the world’s population and contribute 24 percent of world GDP and 18 percent of world trade.
