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The final item on the agenda of the BRICS summit in Ufa was the meeting of the BRICS leaders with heads of guest countries – members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Eurasian Economic Union. Prior to the meeting, all the leaders came out for a joint photo session.
BRICS unites Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The SCO brings together Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have an SCO observer status. Members of the EAEU are Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.
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Speech at BRICS leaders’ summit with heads of invited states
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, friends,
I am happy to welcome participants to the joint session of leaders from BRICS nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisationmember states and the Eurasian Economic Union.
BRICS has developed a useful tradition started by our South African friends: inviting the heads of states that are geographically and geopolitically close to the chairing nation to the BRICS summit. Two years ago in Durban, we discussed what must be done to strengthen ties with African nations. A year ago, in Fortaleza, Brazil, we exchanged views on how to jointly develop cooperation with South American states. Today, we have the opportunity to talk about ways to deepen cooperation in Eurasia.
Like each of our nations, all our associations and organisations have a common interest in developing optimal methods for sustainable development, and an aspiration to ensure the well-being and prosperity of our peoples under guaranteed peace and security.
We are all working under the principles of mutual respect, equality and open dialogue. At the same time, our different historical, cultural and regional traditions, as well as our socioeconomic structures, do not divide us; on the contrary, they allow us to build a fair and comprehensive partnership model that is capable of ensuring sustainable global governance in the 21st century.
I am convinced that this is the only foundation we should use to seek and find solutions to acute international problems, to respond to challenges and threats that are relevant to all of humanity such as the spread of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, extremism, transnational crime, drug trafficking, and food and water shortages.
The topic we have chosen for our outreach format is Ways to Increase the Well-Being of Our Nations. Within such a well-represented session, it would be quite useful to discuss development prospects in Eurasia and touch on strengthening ties with other regions of the world.
I truly believe we have all the prerequisites to expand the horizons of mutually beneficial cooperation, combining our existing raw materials, human capital and enormous consumer market capacity to achieve a major economic breakthrough.
We have unique opportunities to implement our continent’s transit potential. I am referring to the construction of new, effective transport and logistics chains, particularly implementing the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, as well as developing transport links in the Eastern part of the Russian Federation and Siberia.
This can connect the dynamically growing markets in Asia and the mature European economies, which have a wealth of industrial and technological achievements, while simultaneously allowing our nations to become more competitive in the race for investors, creating new jobs and cutting-edge manufacturing.
Our planet’s population growth requires activating cooperation on food security, intensifying agriculture, prudently using water resources and, of course, caring for the earth’s entire biosphere to save the planet for future generations.
And another issue we view as fundamental: a just and secure world is impossible to build without close humanitarian cooperation. That is precisely why Russia strives to deepen contacts in culture, science, education, tourism with all its partners through BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Eurasian Union and through other formats.
Civilian, parliamentary and youth forums are being organised on our initiative; we are also implementing joint cultural programmes, creating inter-university associations, such as the SCO and BRICS network universities.
I would like to invite all our friends and colleagues, the heads of state and government, to share their views on the topics of today’s meeting, as well as other matters that are relevant for us.
Thank you for your attention.
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July 9, 2015, Ufa