MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. More and more countries are recognizing that BRICS as a guarantor of a multipolar world, and the association has already become a major economic center, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

"Serbia intends to join BRICS. It considers such an option as an alternative to the EU, as the country does not see the union as its partner. More and more countries realize that BRICS is a prospective solution and a guarantor of a multipolar world," he said.

Volodin emphasized that "BRICS participants and observers are not subjected to blackmail, absurd conditions for cooperation, or interference in their sovereign affairs, unlike the EU."

"Such policies from Washington and Brussels, as we can see, have had the opposite effect. The economies of BRICS countries are now much larger than those of the G7. The EU is stagnating, with GDP shrinking in Germany, Austria, Finland, and Estonia. Their industries are suffering significant losses," the speaker added.

He noted that BRICS now includes 10 countries and represents 45% of the world's population, with over 30 additional states expressing interest in joining. "Representatives from more than three dozen countries will attend the BRICS summit in Kazan. Washington and Brussels are losing their hegemony, as nations are opting for equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of their people, rather than serving the US and its allies. BRICS, which has already become a major economic center, is the future," Volodin concluded.

Russia took over the BRICS’ year-long presidency on January 1, 2024. Russia’s presidency features more than 250 various events, with a BRICS summit in Kazan on October 22-24, 2024 being the central one.