7 months ago
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Leaders of the growing BRICS group of developing nations met in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, reaffirming the bloc's commitment to multilateral diplomacy.
In his opening remarks, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, "We are witnessing the unparalleled collapse of multilateralism."
"If international governance does not reflect the new multipolar reality of the 21st century, it is up to BRICS to help bring it up to date," he said.
He also criticized the NATO military alliance, accusing it of fueling a global arms race after it set a defense spending target of 5% of GDP late last month.
Rio gears up to host BRICS leaders
Why are Xi and Putin skipping BRICS?
For the first time since becoming China's leader in 2012, President Xi Jinping has opted out of attending the BRICS summit.
Xi chose to send his Premier Li Qiang to represent Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry did not say why Xi is skipping the meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also staying away, but he made an appearance via videoconference.
Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Brazil, as a member of the court, would be obliged to arrest Putin if he entered the country.
What is BRICS and what does it want?
What did Putin say at the BRICS summit?
In televised remarks, Putin noted that "everything indicates that the model of liberal globalization is becoming obsolete."
"The center of business activity is shifting towards the emerging markets," he added.
Putin also urged member countries to step up cooperation in various areas including natural resources, logistics, trade, and finance.
The bloc, originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, accounts for about half the world's population.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
