The meeting is described as the largest gathering of international top leaders in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In addition to Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leaders of a number of other countries are participating.
– The world is undergoing profound changes the likes of which we have not seen in a hundred years. The international situation is characterized by chaos, Xi said at the opening of the summit in the city of Kazan.
– But I firmly believe that the friendship between China and Russia will last for generations, he added.
– A dear friend
Putin hopes the meeting will show that the West’s attempts to isolate Russia have failed. He called Xi Jinping a “dear friend” when he received him.
– Russian-Chinese cooperation in international affairs is one of the stabilizing factors in the global arena, claimed Putin.
After Putin invaded Ukraine with large military forces in 2022, Western countries have tried to punish Russia with extensive sanctions. China has instead stepped up trade with Russia.
On Tuesday, Putin and Xi had a separate meeting on the sidelines of the summit itself. Here, the war in Ukraine was one of the topics, according to the Russian authorities.
Praying for peace
On the opening day in Kazan, India’s Narendra Modi called for a quick end to the war in Ukraine.
– We believe that conflicts must only be resolved peacefully, said Modi, who is prime minister of the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion inhabitants.
Like China, after the invasion of Ukraine, India has bought large quantities of Russian oil. The price is low since Western countries refuse to buy Russian oil.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday called Russia a valuable friend and ally. He pointed to Russian support ever since the struggle against the South African apartheid regime.
The UN chief attends
Later in the week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will also come to the summit in Kazan. His participation has been sharply criticized by the government of Ukraine.
A spokesman for Guterres has emphasized that the UN chief will clearly repeat his view on the war in Ukraine and the prerequisites for a fair peace settlement.
A total of 36 countries are present at the three-day meeting in Kazan. Putin is scheduled to have 20 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
Originally Brics consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Today, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates are also members. Saudi Arabia has also been invited to join the organization.
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