Among other things, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about the need to prevent the conflict in Ukraine from spreading and escalating.
- In the context of the protracted crisis in Ukraine, China, Brazil and countries of the Global South have formed a group of Friends of Peace, he said. He added that this aims to unite the leading voices for peace.
Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that the Friends of Peace group was launched at the initiative of Hungary. The group is organized between China and Brazil but also includes Kazakhstan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Mexico, Kenya, and Zambia. Three European countries, France and Switzerland, in addition to Hungary, have been invited to the meeting.
In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the leaders' official meetings, Xi also noted that BRICS is the world's most important platform for solidarity and cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries. According to a report by China's Xinhua news agency, he stressed the role of BRICS in building a multipolar world, promoting globalization, and called on BRICS members to act as guardians of common security for peace.
MTI reports that in the final declaration adopted at the summit, participants pledged to expand cooperation and strategic partnership, and praised the use of national currencies among the members of the bloc and their trading partners. Putin said the declaration would be submitted to the UN as a joint document.
The statement noted that there are national positions on the situation in Ukraine. BRICS leaders mentioned proposals for mediation and good offices to ensure a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
The document also talks about cooperation for global and regional security, the development of financial and economic ties between BRICS countries, and the expansion of humanitarian exchanges, among other things. Among other issues, the members of the alliance discussed the negative impact of illegal sanctions on the global economy and the spread of violence and armed conflict.
