MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. The further growth of BRICS will depend less and less on outside influence, which is true sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, addressing the BRICS Business Forum.
Putin emphasized that "the countries that are members of the association are in fact the drivers of global economic development, and BRICS will generate the bulk of global GDP growth in the foreseeable future." He noted that appropriate development platforms are being established within BRICS, including communication channels, technological and educational standards, financial systems, payment systems, and mechanisms for sustainable long-term investment.
Putin asserted that "the economic growth of BRICS members will depend less and less on outside influence," describing this as economic sovereignty — a partnership of self-sufficient economies that enhances their potential and opens up new opportunities.
The president noted the impressive attendance of the BRICS Business Forum. "Leading business representatives from all BRICS countries are present here. Your enterprises have long been successfully cooperating with each other, implementing major joint projects in various fields - industry, energy, transportation and infrastructure, agriculture and the digital economy," Putin said. He stressed that businessmen from those countries that joined BRICS as full members on January 1 this year also showed up at the forum. "These are our colleagues and friends from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates," he said.
Putin stressed that, as the current BRICS chair, Russia is working to support the integration of the "new recruits" into all cooperation mechanisms. "We see that the Business Council has welcomed representatives from the new member countries, and they have actively engaged in its work," the president noted.
Putin added that Russia’s BRICS chairmanship operates under the motto "Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security," with a comprehensive action plan focused on three key areas: politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian ties.
Over 80% of the plan has been implemented so far, with more than 200 events, meetings, conferences, and industry gatherings having taken place. Most of the expert and ministerial meetings have also been completed.
The BRICS summit scheduled for next week in Kazan is the central event of Russia’s chairmanship, according to Putin. "It is symbolic that the Business Forum precedes the leaders' meeting in Kazan. This highlights the importance of close economic partnership between our countries, promoting trade and investment, and deepening cooperative ties," Putin concluded.