Published 16/02/2025 10:47 | Edited 16/02/2025 10:55
Rio de Janeiro will be headquartered by the BRICS leaders summit on July 6 and 7. The announcement was made on Saturday (15) by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, after meeting with Mayor Eduardo Paes. The meeting will take place in the context of the Brazilian rotary presidency in the bloc, which began in January, and should be attended by heads of state of the 11 member countries, as well as representatives of partner countries.
The Brazilian presidency at BRICS will have as its central axes the reform of global governance and the strengthening of cooperation between the global southern countries. According to Chancellor Mauro Vieira, the summit will discuss strategic issues such as the expansion of trade between unused members, the strengthening of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the climate financing agenda.
The meeting takes place in a moment of growing tensions with the United States. Former President Donald Trump, a White House candidate in this year’s elections, threatened to impose 100% rates on BRICS countries if the block advances in discussions about the creation of its own coin. Trump also stated that Brics “died”, minimizing the influence of the group.
In response, the bloc reinforced a commitment to a multipolar global order and criticized unilateralism and the rise of extremism in various parts of the world.
The BRICS summit in Rio will be an opportunity for Lula to consolidate its foreign policy aimed at expanding Brazil’s strategic relations with emerging powers and reducing the country’s dependence on the western financial system. In January, the Brazilian government confirmed Indonesia’s entry as a new BRICS member, expanding the representativeness of the bloc.
The choice of Rio de Janeiro as headquarters reinforces the city’s position as a hub of international events. By 2024, the state capital had already received the G20 summit, and the city created the Rio Brics Committee to coordinate the summit activities and to foster cooperation initiatives throughout the year.
In addition to the economic and diplomatic agenda, the meeting will discuss the expansion of BRICS, the sustainable development agenda and the reform of international institutions, central topics for the Brazilian strategy in the block. The event in Brazil signals the willingness of the Lula administration to strengthen BRICS as an alternative to Western powers and face Trump’s hostile rhetoric against multipolarity.
Source: vermelho.org.br
