BRICS Forum in Moscow as Global South Showcase
The forum "BRICS Climate Agenda in Modern Conditions" started on Thursday, 29 August, in Moscow. More than 250 delegates from 128 countries are reported to attend the meeting.
The Russia-chaired summit has become one of the key meetings in addressing climate issues. It focuses on topics such as combating climate change, a strategy for a just green transition, and the role of the state and citizens in achieving global climate goals.
Since last year, countries of the so-called Global South have been keen to cooperate with Russia, as Moscow offers partnership services in areas like urbanisation, logistics optimisation, and digital management of urban resources. The trend of seeking mentoring assistance from Russia continued at this year's summit as well.
Economic experts point to the expansion of trade turnover between the BRICS members despite the sanctions imposed on some countries as one of the advantages of the BRICS international forum. Some argue that it was the sanctions imposed by the EU, the US, and their partners that prompted the BRICS countries to discuss the need to create a settlement system independent of the West.
The BRICS+ countries are actively discussing a project to create a multilateral digital settlement and payment platform BRICS Bridge. It would unite and strengthen the position of BRICS+ currencies on the global stage. The forum participants also do not rule out the creation of their own currency, as the European Union did earlier. This would reduce the influence of the dollar on mutual transactions.
The forum is being held on 29-30 August in Moscow with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and is part of the events timed to coincide with Russia's BRICS chairmanship this year, with the next event being the BRICS Media Summit, which will also take place in Moscow on 13-17 September.
It will be the world's largest interactive platform for the leading media of the BRICS+ countries, with the participation of directors and editors-in-chief. Foreign delegations that have received an invitation and expressed their desire to attend the forum are eagerly awaiting the opening ceremony.
In 2023, Moscow was ranked first among 100 megacities in terms of human potential, according to the BRICS+ international ranking of cities.
The organisation of such events shows a strong tendency to unite the Global South, of which Moscow is one of the steady poles. Such meetings, especially for media, show that Russia is comprehensively trying to show that it is not isolated, and within two and a half years it has turned out that global isolation has proved to be a myth, as evidenced by the number of countries participating in the forum.
The West as a unity is facing an active and prominent geopolitical defeat. Meanwhile, BRICS has all the chances to evolve into a tighter alliance, perhaps in the political aspect as well.