The sense of duty of Russia and China as great powers remain unaltered, he pointed out. On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping met with President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS summit in Kazan, where he reaffirmed China’s “unbreakable” friendship with Russia.

“The international situation is undergoing significant changes and turbulence, but this cannot weaken my conviction in the unbreakable strategic choice of both countries,” the Chinese President said, emphasizing that despite unprecedented tectonic shifts in several centuries, the deep friendship between the Chinese and Russians, and their sense of duty as great powers, remain “unaltered.”

Xi thanked Putin for the invitation to visit the Tatar capital and noted that this was the third meeting between the two leaders this year. He also highlighted that Russia and China recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

“We have taken the right path in building relations between major powers based on the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and not being directed against third countries,” the Chinese leader said, emphasizing that BRICS is one of the most important platforms for promoting a new multipolar world order.

In this regard, he also stressed the great significance of the Kazan summit, as it will be the first BRICS meeting since the inclusion of Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia.

The Russian president emphasized that strategic relations with the Asian giant are an “example” for all countries, as they are mutually beneficial and not based on short-term circumstances.

“Russian-Chinese cooperation in global affairs is one of the stabilizing factors in the international arena. We intend to continue expanding cooperation on all international platforms to ensure global security and a just world order,” he noted.

Putin will host a dinner later today, which will be attended by the leaders of the nine BRICS members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia. Representatives from over 20 countries interested in joining this economic cooperation group will also be present.

This will be their first meeting since the start of Russia’s special military operation in 2022. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, will personally attend the BRICS summit in Kazan and will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Farhan Haq, the UN Secretary-General’s deputy spokesperson, confirmed that Guterres will go to Kazan as he did previously for the 2023 summit and “as has always been his custom when attending meetings of organizations with a large number of important member states, such as the G7 or G20.”

He added that the nations comprising the BRICS “represent almost half of humanity,” and therefore, the summit “is of great importance to the UN’s work with its member states.” Haq also confirmed that Guterres will meet with Vladimir Putin, as well as other leaders attending the summit, depending on their availability, as this is “one of the main reasons for his attendance.”

This will be the first time Guterres and Putin meet since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The spokesperson made it clear that Guterres will emphasize to Putin “his well-known stance on the war in Ukraine and the conditions for a just peace based on the UN Charter and its resolutions.”

The BRICS countries, many of which are also members of the G20, cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, he pointed out.

On Tuesday, on the eve of traveling to Kazan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised “sincere cooperation” between Türkiye and the BRICS.

“The BRICS countries, many of which are also members of the Group of Twenty like Türkiye, cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface and account for 45 percent of its population,” the Turkish president explained during a speech to his Justice and Development Party (AKP) party.

“They produce 40 percent of the world’s oil, 25 percent of global exports, and two-fifths of global trade. These figures show the importance of the BRICS platform,” he added.

“Türkiye wants to sincerely develop its cooperation with BRICS, and I trust that the Kazan summit will serve this purpose,” Erdogan concluded.

The Turkish leader did not specify whether this cooperation would include joining the group, a proposal Erdogan himself had floated in 2018 after returning from a BRICS summit in Johannesburg, but did not pursue further.

“Our request is open; there’s a process. But there has been no concrete progress on it,” said AKP Vice President Omer Çelik in September.

According to Erdogan, Türkiye’s cooperation with platforms like BRICS or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would not distance his nation from the European Union, as his country can function as a bridge between various international blocs.

Putin reported that trade between Russia and South Africa has experienced a 3% growth so far this year, highlighting his commitment to strengthening economic ties.

At the XVI BRICS Summit taking place in Kazan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa held a meeting focused on creating a more equitable world order.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of bilateral relations based on principles of equality and cooperation. Putin reported that trade between Russia and South Africa has experienced a 3% growth so far this year, highlighting his commitment to strengthening economic ties.

Ramaphosa, in turn, praised Russia as a strategic ally and celebrated the successful organization of the summit, as well as efforts to integrate more nations into the BRICS group.

Ramaphosa echoed this sentiment, expressing optimism about the future of their bilateral relations and emphasizing that South Africa views Russia as a crucial ally in its quest for sustainable development.

During this summit, Putin also has scheduled meetings with other international leaders, underscoring the relevance of this event on the global stage.

The outcomes of these dialogues are expected to pave the way for deeper cooperation among BRICS nations and contribute to a more balanced international landscape.

Belgium, Greece and Austria call on the European Union to reject exceptions to common asylum rules. On Tuesday, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner suggested that the European Union consider legal options for deporting migrants to Syria and Afghanistan.

“Although I know it’s not easy, it is also necessary that we discuss how we can resume deportations to Syria and Afghanistan,” said the far-right politician during a conference of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in Vienna.

Karner believes that the EU must better defend its external borders, work more with the countries of origin, and establish a more effective migrant return system. He also stated that it is essential to strengthen cooperation with third countries considered safe and improve the European legal framework to facilitate deportations.

“A functional return policy is an important aspect of a credible migration system,” Karner said, applauding the steps taken in this direction by the European Commission (EC). Previously, EC President Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter to EU capitals to explore the idea of developing return centers outside the EU and called for lessons to be learned from the implementation of the agreement between Italy and Albania.

During the conference in Vienna, Greek Migration Minister Nikos Panayotopoulos agreed with Karner’s conclusions. “What we lack is a comprehensive return policy for rejected migrants,” he said.

The ministers of Austria and Greece, along with Belgium’s Asylum Secretary Nicole de Moor, agreed that the EU must act as a united front and rejected “exceptions” to common asylum rules. This was a veiled message to the Netherlands, whose new government wants to distance itself from European regulations.

Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Deputy High Commissioner for Protection at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), explained that any return to Syria or Afghanistan must be voluntary and rejected any forced repatriations.

“We have publicly said there should be no return to Afghanistan or Syria. And we would be very concerned if EU states carried out such returns. Voluntary return is correct. We know that a significant number of people are returning spontaneously to Syria. We agree with that… But we would oppose any form of forced return,” she stated on the sidelines of the conference.

Menikdiwela acknowledged that European states face challenges repatriating people who have not been granted refugee status and assured that UNHCR can help negotiate return or readmission agreements, as long as international norms are respected.

The expert also reminded that UNHCR agreed to oversee the implementation of the migration agreement between Italy and Albania because Rome still retains responsibility and the legal obligation to protect people transferred to the Balkan country.

Menikdiwela noted that Italy retains jurisdiction over the migrants in Albania, which distinguishes this agreement from others, such as those involving Australia or the failed one between the United Kingdom and Rwanda, where the receiving countries take on legal responsibility for asylum seekers in exchange for money.

“We are monitoring the agreement between Italy and Albania to see how it is being applied. We are in Albania. We are also in the centers and on the boats, supervising the situation of these people, how they are intercepted, how they are treated, and how their applications are handled,” she concluded.

The ICMPD is an international organization based in Vienna with 21 member states, including Germany, Turkey, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, and Austria.