Jason Ross, who is the official EIR news representative at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, posted a 15-minute video update on Thursday morning, Oct. 24, covering the Oct. 23 events, which included the restricted format meeting of the nine BRICS members and the expanded meeting with other governments attending the event. EIR was also able to pose two questions at a press conference to Anton Kobyakov, a top advisor to the host, Russian President Vladimir Putin. That exchange is reported elsewhere today.
Ross first reported on the breaking news that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held their first formal meeting in the past five years. They announced that an agreement was reached between representatives on a process for settling their longstanding border dispute, which has created difficulties in their bilateral relations and hindered their cooperation in the BRICS process. After the meeting, Modi tweeted: “Met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Kazan BRICS Summit. India-China relations are important for the people of our countries, and for regional and global peace and stability. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide bilateral relations.”
Ross then gave an overview of the Kazan Declaration on “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,” which has 33 pages with 134 points. He explained:
“The BRICS nations spoke up against the escalation of violence in Gaza and the West Bank ‘as a result of the Israeli military offensive, which led to mass killing and injury of civilians, forced displacement, and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.’ Israel’s attacks on Southern Lebanon were also addressed. Regarding the pager and cell phone attack launched in Lebanon last month, the BRICS consider these attacks as ‘a grave violation of international law.’ The attacks raise the issue of developing rules and standards for the security of supply chains.
“They called for uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, while calling on the authorities to reverse the ‘effective ban on girls’ secondary and higher education.’
