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Russia’s Putin attends BRICS Summit in S. Africa remotely

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the BRICS grouping of countries was on course to meet the aspirations of most of the world’s population, according to recorded remarks at a summit of the BRICS countries in South Africa on Tuesday.”We cooperate on the principles of equality, partnership support, respect for each other’s interests, and this is the essence of the future-oriented strategic course of our association, a course that meets the aspirations of the main part of the world community, the so-called global majority,” Putin said. The Associated Press has the story:

Russia’s Putin attends BRICS Summit in S. Africa remotely

Newslooks- JOHANNESBURG (AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were both absent as leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies started a three-day summit in South Africa on Tuesday.

Putin’s travel to Johannesburg was complicated by an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest over the abduction of children from Ukraine. His participation as the bloc named for member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa opened its first in-person meeting since before the COVID-19 pandemic came in the form of a 17-minute prerecorded speech.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived for a state visit in South Africa where the two countries are expected to strengthen ties ahead of the BRICS summit starting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Xi, who was in South Africa and held a bilateral morning meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, did not join his host and the leaders of Brazil and India for a business forum at the primary summit venue. No reason was given for his absence, and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read Xi’s speech.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies at the start of a three-day summit in Johannesburg, South Africa , Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The summit’s main session in Johannesburg’s financial district of Sandton is scheduled for Wednesday, when Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ramaphosa were expected to meet as BRICS mulls a possible expansion.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at the start of the BRICS group of emerging economies three-day summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. From left, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa , Modi and China minister of commerce Wang Wentao. They will be joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin who will appear on a video link after his travel to South Africa was complicated by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him over the war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The bloc already is home to 40% of the world’s population and responsible for more than 30% of global economic output, and more than 20 nations have applied to join, according to South African officials, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi planned to attend the summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks during a joint media briefing with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Jinping has arrived for a state visit in South Africa where the two countries are expected to strengthen ties ahead of the BRICS summit starting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

The five current member countries will have to agree on the criteria for new members before any countries are admitted, but a bigger BRICS is seen as a policy favored by China and Russia amid their deteriorating relations with the West.

Brazil, Russia, India and China formed the bloc in 2009. South Africa was added in 2010.

China minister of commerce Wang Wentao reads a speech by Chinese premier Xi Jinping to leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies, at the start of a three-day summit in Johannesburg, South Africa , Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Chinese premier Xi Jinping, (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

While Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was representing Russia in Johannesburg, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Putin would fully engage in the summit while participating remotely.

Local officials said Putin would “virtually” attend a Tuesday welcome dinner hosted by South Africa. The agenda also lists him as giving a speech via video link on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa after their joint media briefing at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived for a state visit in South Africa where the two countries are expected to strengthen ties ahead of the BRICS summit starting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Overall, around 1,200 delegates from the five BRICS nations and dozens of other developing countries are are in South Africa’s biggest city, and more than 40 heads of state were expected to take part in some of the summit meetings, according to Ramaphosa.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also was expected to attend.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, walks with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa after introducing his cabinet members during a state visit at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived for a state visit in South Africa where the two countries are expected to strengthen ties ahead of the BRICS summit starting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

On Tuesday’s opening day, there were calls for more economic cooperation and collaboration in areas such as health, education and climate change while reflecting a growing sentiment in some parts of the world that institutions seen as Western-led, including the the U.N., the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, do not serve developing nations.

While in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, earlier Tuesday for his meeting with Xi, Ramaphosa said he was seeking “Chinese support for South Africa and Africa’s call for the reform of global governance institutions, notably the United Nations Security Council.”

Africa and South America have no permanent representatives on the Security Council despite being home to nearly 2 billion people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, receives the order of South Africa from President Cyril Ramaphosa at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Jinping has arrived for a state visit in South Africa where the two countries are expected to strengthen ties ahead of the BRICS summit starting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Xi, who has gradually resumed foreign travel after the lifting of his country’s strict COVID-19 restrictions, joined Ramaphosa to watch a ceremonial parade by soldiers at the Union Buildings, the official seat of the South African government.

Xi made brief comments at the event, saying China was ready for more cooperation with Africa’s most advanced economy “to take our comprehensive strategic partnerships to new heights.”

BRICS officials have pushed back at suggestions the the bloc is taking an anti-West turn under the influence of China and Russia, saying it is rather looking out for the interests of the Global South.

Banners for the upcoming BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa summit hang from a pole outside the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Russia and China will look to gain more political and economic ground in the developing world at the BRICS summit this week. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

But the BRICS stance is at odds with the United States and its Western allies on a number of issues, not least over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The European Union called on Xi, Lula, Modi and Ramaphosa to use this week’s gathering to condemn Russia and Putin for the war in Ukraine, but that’s unlikely to happen.

If anything, BRICS has been a forum for Russia to express its anti-Western rhetoric, with Lavrov using a BRICS foreign ministers meeting in June to lambast the West for its “hegemony” and using “financial blackmail” to serve its ”selfish interests.”

A small protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was held Tuesday at a public park more than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the summit venue.

Ukrainian supporters protest near the venue of the BRICS Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be notably absent when Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies begin a three-day summit in South Africa. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

The U.S. and EU will be closely monitoring events in Johannesburg, with the long list of countries lining up to join BRICS suggesting that the bloc’s calls for a reorganization of the global governance structure might be hitting home with many.

Ukrainian supporters protest near the venue of the BRICS Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be notably absent when Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies begin a three-day summit in South Africa. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

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