BRICS 'not against anyone,' Putin says as summit opens

BRICS is “not against anyone” but focused on the development and prosperity of its members, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, as world leaders gathered in New Delhi for the grouping’s 18th summit.

Putin made the remarks at the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, part of a packed program of bilateral talks and discussions on trade, investment, energy, and global challenges, before the leaders’ meeting formally opened on Saturday.

“BRICS’ work is not directed against anyone,” Putin said. “It is aimed at only one common goal: the sustainable development and prosperity of our countries and peoples.”

Putin said the group seeks to unlock its members’ potential through “business diplomacy,” making it easier for companies and entrepreneurs to cooperate and invest.

He contrasted this with what he called the West’s “ugly forms” of competition, including unilateral “illegal restrictions” and secondary sanctions against countries “unwilling to follow others’ interests.”

Despite the tensions, Putin stressed that Moscow does not intend to retreat behind political blocs: “We are open to working with the whole world.”

Friday saw Putin hold a flurry of meetings with New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He also held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed cooperation in trade, energy, defense, space, and other sectors.

Friday’s whirlwind of diplomacy and Indian pageantry set the stage for two days of leaders’ talks. What began as a four-country forum has grown into an 11-member economic heavyweight with increasing global clout as geopolitical tensions mount and the Western-led international order comes under growing pressure.