Russia hosted representatives from 126 countries on August 27-28 at the VI International Municipal Forum (IMF) of the BRICS countries in a bid to unite the Global South even further, as well as establish new international channels of co-operation and help strengthen previously existing ones.
International scope of the forum
This year’s the IMF BRICS saw 126 countries present their delegations. More than 5,000 participants from 500 cities around the world gathered in Moscow to discuss topical issues of economy, digital technologies, ecology, urban infrastructure, transport, healthcare, education and culture.
According to the forum organisers, the forum provided conditions for establishing direct contacts between municipal authorities and representatives of the business community, and also provided opportunities for finding new business partners, which is of particular interest to small and medium-sized businesses that intend to cover the markets of China, India, the Persian Gulf countries and other regions of the world.
Moscow tops the ranking of BRICS capitals
Moscow has once again confirmed its status as a centre of international co-operation, having become the venue for the VI International Municipal Forum of the BRICS countries.
Earlier, Moscow ranked first among the BRICS+ cities in terms of technological and spatial development and entered the top 5 world megacities in terms of these indicators, competing with Tokyo, New York, Sydney and Beijing.
The Urban & Innovation Environment Index 2023 has been prepared by research centres of the BRICS countries, including Jindal Global University (India), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences (China) and other research centres. It assesses the impact of technological and spatial development on the quality of life in the world’s largest cities.
Global South power is growing due to the BRICS
The BRICS countries are seeing an increasing share of the global economy from 2023 onwards due to several factors.
First, these countries are all fast-growing economies with significant reserves of natural resources, labour and markets. For example, China is the second largest economy in the world, heavily dependent on exports and active in the international market. India and Brazil also show significant economic growth and have great potential for further development.
Secondly, the BRICS countries are actively co-operating with each other and are keen to strengthen their economic ties. The changing global geopolitical situation and the shift of economic power in the world is also an important factor. In the long run, the above factors have a positive impact on the investment attractiveness of the BRICS, which encourages international investors to reconsider their strategies and pay attention to these countries as major markets for development. This will allow the BRICS to strengthen their place in the global economy and expand their economic opportunities.
More than 300 agreements signed despite sanctions
Russia has consistently demonstrated steady resistance to sanctions, which in turn favours the development of the BRICS.
Experts believe that the countries of South America, Africa and Asia, which face periodic attempts by the US to interfere in their internal affairs and influence foreign policy, can strengthen and defend their sovereignty through the BRICS membership.
The forum organisers stressed that the BRICS strives to make all its members feel equal and regularly holds large-scale events to promote co-operation between countries. This year, Azerbaijan and Malaysia, as well as Turkey, a NATO member, have applied to join BRICS. Thus, the bloc is becoming increasingly powerful compared to Western alliances.
During the BRICS International Municipal Forum in Moscow, more than 300 agreements were signed between Asian, African and Latin American countries. Agreements worth large sums were signed in the format of B2B communication, which the forum participants consider to be the most important achievement of the event in terms of business communication.
Largest interactive platform
The August BRICS meeting is not the last one in 2024, in September the BRICS Media Summit is announced to be held in Moscow. This is a platform for communication between the leading BRICS media structures and the media of the countries that have expressed interest in expanding co-operation with the association.
Russia seeks to unite the world’s media in order to broadcast its achievements and show that it is not isolated in the geopolitical stage.
THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.
Bill Galston for Head-Post.com
