Next month, President Xi Jinping will meet with President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit for emerging economies, scheduled to take place in Russia. This marks their fourth meeting within a year, underscoring the deepening ties between China and Russia. The leaders previously convened at the Belt and Road Forum in October, during Putin’s visit to China in May, and at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan in July. Xi’s upcoming visit will be his first to Russia in 17 months, following his last trip in March 2023.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday, Wang Yi, head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister, conveyed China’s enthusiasm about attending the BRICS summit during his recent meeting with Putin in Saint Petersburg. Wang noted that the summit will be significant as it is the first to be held after BRICS expanded its membership.
Russian news agency TASS reported that Wang told Putin, “Chinese President Xi Jinping was very happy to accept your invitation, and he will visit Kazan on the appointed date.” In response, Putin stated that Russia and China are gaining support from the Global South by advocating for the principles of a democratic world order. He added that all issues would be addressed through both multilateral and bilateral talks with President Xi during their meeting in Kazan.
During this meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss major international issues, including the war in Ukraine, and ways to enhance economic cooperation between their countries.
The BRICS group, comprising China, Russia, India, Brazil, and South Africa, is an international coalition of emerging economies. Last year’s summit included new members, such as Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This year, the organization is expected to focus on further expansion and key issues during its meetings.
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