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Inside BRICS Summit in Kazan: Putin’s Busy Itinerary and Key Diplomatic Discussions to Look Out For

Created in 2006 as an informal grouping of emerging economies, BRICS has grown into a behemoth of international affairs, surpassing the G7 industrialized economies by PPP GDP in 2018, and more than doubling its membership earlier this year to include six new members. As its economic power grows, so does its potential to influence global politics.

The 2024 BRICS Summit, arguably the most anticipated geopolitical and economic gathering of the year, officially kicks off in Kazan today, with representatives from 36 countries, including 22 top level officials, in attendance.

Here’s what to know about the summit’s jam-packed schedule:

The itinerary of summit host Vladimir Putin is overflowing with meetings, with the Russian president set to hold talks with China’s Xi, Egypt’s el-Sisi, India’s Modi, South Africa’s Ramaphosa and the head of the BRICS’ New Development Bank on Tuesday.

More meetings – with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (including to discuss the long-awaited Russia-Iran strategic partnership), and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (to talk details on a gas hub deal, and possible Turkish mediation in the Ukrainian crisis), the next day. Putin is also set to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose country officially joined BRICS this past January, on Wednesday.

On October 24, Putin will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with the BRICS Summit featuring a special session related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the crisis in the Middle East.

Also on Thursday, Putin is expected to hold meetings with the leaders of Laos, Mauritania, Bolivia, Republika Srpska and Vietnam.

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Along with an array of negotiations related to economics, including an ambitious BRICS digital payment platform and ways to stimulate trade in national currencies, the summit will include administration-related issues, including the new BRICS “partner country” status – whose criteria will be formalized in Kazan, which allows members to take part in BRICS meetings without voting rights.

Cuba officially requested BRICS ‘partner country’ status earlier this month. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who was set to attend the summit and to meet with Putin, was forced to sit the gathering out given the unprecedented blackout crisis facing his island nation.

The Kazan Declaration is expected to be adopted upon the summit’s conclusion Thursday, with representatives of three dozen countries and six international organizations taking part. Putin is set to hold a press conference with journalists to discuss the summit’s outcome.