In sincere greetings for the New Year and the upcoming Spring Festival to President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, Putin referred to strengthening the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China. The mutual partnership demonstrates rapid progress and resistance to external challenges, as both continue to maintain a meaningful political dialogue.
Putin was upbeat on a number of points. Bilateral trade is breaking records. Major trans-border infrastructure projects have been completed, including the construction of a road and railway bridges across the Amur River. The years of physical fitness and sports exchanges contributed substantially to contacts between the people of our countries. “Through joint efforts, we will be able to take bilateral cooperation even higher for the benefit of the Russian and Chinese nations and in the interests of strengthening regional and global stability and security,” he stressed.
Putin expressed confidence that they will work together to further enhance multi-dimensional cooperation and continue their coordinated work on bilateral basis and within the framework of BRICS.
In 2023, South Africa will hold the rotating presidency of BRICS. And that implies that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has a lot more at hand, especially with the current global geopolitical changes, has work towards consolidating the growing support underway for a few countries that have applied to join BRICS. It is also pushing for the emerging multipolar world.
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It is however speculated that the organization’s membership might expand to about 15, but that largely depends on certain necessary conditions and the collective decision of the organization.
Historically, the first meeting of the group began in St Petersburg in 2005. It was called RIC, which stood for Russia, India and China. Then later, Brazil joined and finally, South Africa in February 2011, which is why now it is referred to as BRICS. The acronym BRICS is derived from the members’ names in English. The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) collectively represent about 42% of the world’s population.
Kester Kenn Klomegah is an independent researcher and writer on African affairs in the EurAsian region and former Soviet republics. He wrote previously for African Press Agency, African Executive and Inter Press Service. Earlier, he had worked for The Moscow Times, a reputable English newspaper. Klomegah taught part-time at the Moscow Institute of Modern Journalism. He studied international journalism and mass communication, and later spent a year at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.