"The world has changed dramatically. The upcoming 2024 US presidential election will not be the most important event of the year for the world community and will not determine the further course of history. The BRICS summit will be that event," TASS quoted the Speaker of the Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian parliament) Valentina Matviyenko as writing on Telegram.
According to Ms. Matviyenko, this reflects objective and irreversible processes. "I believe that in 2024, the direction of human development will be set in Kazan. The three days of the BRICS summit and the talks of the leaders of the majority of the world in Kazan will have a decisive influence on our future," Ms. Matviyenko noted.
The Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia believes that truly responsible leaders of sovereign states understand this. The level of representation at the summit and the growing number of applications for membership are clear evidence of this.
"I am sure that news from Russia will be followed on all continents," Matviyenko concluded.
BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ethiopia became full members of the group. Saudi Arabia is in the process of considering joining.
On January 1, 2024, Russia takes over the one-year presidency of BRICS. The group has more than 200 different events. The BRICS summit in Kazan on October 22-24 will be the main BRICS event during Russia's presidency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that about 30 countries have expressed interest in cooperating with BRICS in some form. Mr. Putin also stressed that BRICS is not an "anti-Western" organization.
Speaking to reporters from the BRICS countries on October 18, President Putin noted that BRICS now covers about 45% of the world's population, while the group's trade turnover and market share in the global economy are still growing steadily.
"BRICS is expanding. The number of friends and like-minded people in BRICS has increased and interest in the bloc's activities is high," Putin said, adding that "so far, about 30 countries have expressed a desire to cooperate with BRICS to some extent, to participate in the group's activities in one way or another."
The Russian President stressed that the nature of BRICS makes the group beneficial globally, not just for its participants.
“We are not building a bloc against anyone’s interests. This is not an organization of that kind. In this sense, BRICS is universal and, in my opinion, will have a beneficial impact on world affairs in general, including the world economy,” Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also rejected assertions that BRICS was somehow anti-Western.
