In 2024, Russia holds the BRICS Сhairmanship. The summit in Kazan was a key event. What would you note if you summarised its main results as well as the results of Russia’s Chairmanship as a whole?  The summit demonstrated the rapidly growing authority of BRICS and the desire of more countries to join its work.  A number of countries have officially requested to join as full members. Others have expressed interest in becoming partner countries. This is a new category that…

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader John Steenhuisen’s claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa represented himself when he described Russian Leader Vladimir Putin as South Africa’s “valuable ally” are “silly” and show that the party is still pursuing the apartheid government’s foreign policy. According to Andre Thomashausen, a Professor Emeritus of International and Comparative Law at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the former Head of the university’s Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law, Steenhuisen’s assertions also proved that South Africa’s…

“Around 400 years ago, the Great Tea Road that connected the two countries went past Kazan, through which tea leaves from China’s Wuyi Mountain region found their way into many Russian households,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Xi recalled the history in his meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, the fifth-largest city of Russia with historical and cultural significance. Xi’s remarks highlighted the long-standing bond between…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a “valuable ally and a friend” who supported him when South Africa entered uncharted waters after the May general elections. He told Putin he had formed the Government of National Unity (GNU) with several opposition parties to stabilise South Africa politically after the governing African National Congress received 40% of the national vote. Putin was widely expected to use the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, to show the world…

The price of coal soared in 2023, reaching almost $300 a ton in parts of Europe. And it fell back just as fast to half that, and less in some regions. There’s always a spike in demand over the northern winter when homes and factories need heating, but last year was special. You see, Russia accounts for around 17% of the world’s coal, and sanctions panicked the market, until it became clear that Moscow is selling as much coal as…

The officials summarised the results of the Russian presidency this year and outlined priorities for the future in the document. The final declaration is published on the official website of the Russian President. “A final declaration has been prepared, which contains general assessments of the state of affairs in the world, summarises the results of the Russian BRICS presidency, and defines the benchmarks of interaction for the long term” – Vladimir Putin, President of Russia The declaration consists of a…

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on 22 October. This is reported by the official website of the Brazilian Government. The Russian President inquired about the state of health of the Brazilian leader, who could not fly to the BRICS summit in Kazan for medical reasons. The government press service also informed that Lula da Silva’s participation in the summit would be organised via video conference. After the conversation…

The second day of the BRICS Business Forum, the theme of which is “BRICS Partnership: StrengtheningMultilateralism for Equitable and Global Development and Security”, is taking place in Moscow on 18October. The plenary session was the centrepiece of the forum. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the guests of the event. During his speech, he emphasisedthat the BRICS accounted for about a quarter of the world’s exports of goods, and the combined GDP ofBRICS is more than US$60 trillion. The Russian head…

The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, says Russia has completed over 70% of the planned programmes under its BRICS chairmanship in 2024.  Putin made these remarks at the meeting of high-ranking representatives of BRICS countries in charge of security issues at the Constantine Palace in St Petersburg on Thursday, September 12th.  Russia’s 2024 BRICS Chairmanship, themed “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security” includes over 200 events designed to enhance cooperation in policy and security, economy and finance, and humanitarian…

At the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on 19-20 June. This is reported by the official website of the President of Russia. It is expected to hold a series of meetings with high-ranking officials of Vietnam. The parties will discuss the state and prospects for further development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between…