XVI BRICS Summit (Kazan, Russia, October 22-24, 2024)
On the final day of the summit, October 24, a BRICS Plus/Outreach plenary session was held, followed by a news conference by the President of Russia.
Additionally, the President continued a series of bilateral consultations: with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of Bolivia Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, as well as Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, and President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin's remarks at the Plenary Session of the XVI BRICS Summit in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format
(Kazan, October 24, 2024)
Vladimir Putin: I am delighted to welcome all of you to the BRICS Plus/Outreach-format meeting. This inclusive platform has proven its worth by enabling the BRICS group participants to engage in a direct and open dialogue with their friends and partners. <...>
According to our agenda, we will discuss the most pressing issues the international community is facing today, including sustainable development, eradication of poverty, climate change adaptation, exchanging technology and knowledge, fighting terrorism and transborder crime.
We will focus particularly on the peaceful resolution of conflicts, certainly including a serious discussion of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
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Multipolar World
All our countries share similar aspirations, values and a vision of a new democratic world order that reflects cultural and civilisational diversity. We are confident that such a system should be guided by the universal principles of respect for the legitimate interests and sovereign choice of nations, respect for international law and a spirit of mutually beneficial, honest co-operation.
The transition to a more just international system is not easy. Its development is being hampered by forces whose thinking and actions continue to be aimed at dominating everything and everyone. Under the guise of a rule-based order they are imposing on the world, they are actually attempting to contain growing competition and prevent the independent development of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America that they cannot control.
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Middle East
The current round of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation is probably one of the most sanguinary in the long list of conflicts. Over 40,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip. I would like to emphasise that we have always come out against the use of terrorist methods. <...>
Since the start of the escalation, we have joined forces with our BRICS and other partners to contribute to a settlement. <...>
I would like to repeat that the main condition for restoring peace and stability in the Palestinian territories is the realisation of the two-state formula approved by the UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
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Eurasian Security
The countries represented in this room have immense opportunities and resources at their disposal and play a prominent role on the international stage. They have been using their standing to enhance global security and promote sustainable development around the world. <...>
Russia advocated the idea of creating an inclusive system of equitable and indivisible security for Eurasia free from any discrimination.
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United Nations
The UN must retain its central role in efforts to maintain peace and security and facilitate sustainable and steady development.
To ensure the effective functioning of the UN in the future, we believe it is important to adapt its structures to the realities of the 21st century, expanding the representation of countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, including those whose leaders are present here, in the Security Council and other key international bodies.
An effort to reform UN development institutions and global financial structures has long been overdue. <...>
The founding fathers of the United Nations believed that its purpose was to enable nations to come together and agree on joint actions.
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Russia, like all BRICS countries, is open to cooperation with all countries of the Global South and East to promote inclusive and sustainable development and ultimately build a better world.
Read in full.
Remarks and answers to media questions by President of Russia Vladimir Putin following the results of the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan (October 24, 2024)
Vladimir Putin: The XVI BRICS Summit has just concluded with great success. It marked the culmination of Russia's chairmanship of the group and was one of the significant events on the global political calendar.
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Regarding the Kazan Summit itself, delegations from 35 countries and six international organisations participated in it, as you are already aware. Such broad representation clearly underscores the authority and role of BRICS, as well as the growing interest in cooperation with us from states that are indeed pursuing truly independent and sovereign policies.
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The Kazan Declaration, which summed up the discussions was approved at the Summit.
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In Kazan, we reaffirmed that BRICS is not a closed format; it is open to all those who share BRICS values. The Group's members are prepared to work towards identifying joint solutions without external pressure or attempts to enforce narrow approaches upon anyone. BRICS is compelled to respond to the burgeoning demand in the world for such cooperation. Accordingly, we devoted particular attention to the matter of potential BRICS expansion through the establishment of a new category — that of partner states.
The Summit has concluded. I wish to express my gratitude once again to all my colleagues, who travelled to Kazan, for their contributions to our collective efforts. I must highlight that their input was quite substantial.
Answers to media questions. Key points:
Prospects for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis
• All the parties are in favour of resolving the conflict at the earliest opportunity, preferably through peaceful means. You may be aware that the People's Republic of China and Brazil put forward an initiative at the General Assembly in New York. Numerous BRICS nations endorse these initiatives, and we, in turn, extend our gratitude to our partners for their attention to this conflict and their pursuit of methods to resolve it.
• We are ready to discuss a peace agreement in any shape or form based on the reality on the ground. That is to say, I am not ready to accept anything else.
On alleged Russia's interference in the US electoral process and the prospects for normalization of Russia-US relations
• This issue has been making headlines for years now. <...> However, after an investigation conducted in the United States, everyone, including US Congress, concluded that it was utter nonsense and that nothing of the kind ever happened. There were no contacts back then, and there are none now.
• Russia-US relations after the elections depend primarily on the United States. If the United States is open to building normal relations with Russia, we will do the same. If not, so be it. This is up to the future Administration.
On global and regional stability, security and building a just world.
• Is it fair in terms of security that you have for years disregarded our repeated requests to our partners not to expand NATO eastward? Is it fair that you lied through your teeth, saying that the bloc would not expand while doing precisely that in violation of your commitments? <...> Is it fair that you violated your commitments within the OSCE, when all Western countries signed a document stating that no country may ensure its security at the expense of other countries?
This is not fair. We want to change this, and we will change it.
The situation in the Middle East
• I believe that there is no person on Earth whose heart does not bleed when they see what is happening in Gaza. Over 40,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed.
• The solution can only be found by addressing the root causes, the primary one being the lack of a fully recognized, sovereign Palestinian state. It is necessary to implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions on this matter.
Read in full here.
October 28, 2024
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