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.

“An economy that is not based on sanctions, blackmail, or economic coercion, but rather an economy based on cooperation, truly free trade, shared investment, and new technology,” he highlighted.

“The BRICS have already become the epicenter of the New Multipolar World. The BRICS are the epicenter of the world, of the new geopolitics, of diplomacy, of peace, and, above all, they are the hope for the Global South countries that aspire to development that we have sought for 200 years,” stated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro upon arriving in Kazan, Russia, in the evening (local time) to participate in the BRICS Summit.

While speaking to the media, the head of state emphasized that his delegation brings to Russia the banner of equality and freedom, seeking the possibility of accessing a different economy. “An economy that is not based on sanctions, blackmail, or economic coercion, but rather an economy based on cooperation, truly free trade, shared investment, and new technology,” he highlighted.

The president also assured that Venezuela is part of this new BRICS world, and that his presence at the Summit aims to “share our dreams, our hopes for a world without colonialism, without hegemonism, without imperialism; a world where emerging superpowers can share with the countries from the Global South” that aspire to independence, development, and prosperity.

Furthermore, the head of state stated that the main expectation of the Venezuelan delegation in Kazan “is to contribute, from Bolivarian Venezuela, to the construction of a new world from South America, from our America.”

In this regard, Maduro reminded that there exists another America, one of peace and men and women who aspire to freedom and equality. “There is a non-colonialist America commemorating 200 years of the historic battles of Junin and Ayacucho; it is Our America, and from Our America, we tell the rest of the world that we are ready to build a new world.”

Referring to opportunities for consolidating Venezuela as an oil power, the dignitary recalled that the Bolivarian government has always envisioned the possibility of coming together in an economic project of development and cooperation with countries that possess the largest oil reserves in the world, such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

“In this space, which is the epicenter of the new world, we already have the four major oil-producing countries in the world, and Venezuela, modestly, comes to offer its part from an economic project of autonomy and endogenous development, from an economic project that requires a high level of investment,” he stated.

On this topic, he highlighted that Executive Vice President and Minister of Oil Delcy Rodríguez had previously arrived in Kazán to present a range of investment options to BRICS Plus countries and predicted good news in that direction.

He also mentioned that he expects to meet with the president Vladimir Putin and other leaders as part of his work agenda in Kazan.

The Russian leader stated that relations between Russia and India continue to develop actively and anticipated important decisions that would be made at the summit to strengthen collaboration within the bloc.

At the BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting that underscores the strengthening of cooperation between the two nations.

During the meeting, Putin highlighted the “good state” of trade exchange and reaffirmed that the relations are characterized as a “particularly privileged strategic partnership.”

The Russian leader stated that relations between Russia and India continue to develop actively and anticipated important decisions that would be made at the summit to strengthen collaboration within the bloc.

For his part, Modi reiterated India’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the need to establish peace and offering assistance for its resolution.

Modi’s visit to Kazan highlights the close friendship between Moscow and New Delhi. Additionally, the Indian Prime Minister underscored the evolution of the BRICS bloc over the past 15 years, highlighting its growing identity and international interest in joining this association.

This bilateral meeting not only reinforces India’s role as a key global actor but also demonstrates the consolidation of BRICS as an alternative forum for international cooperation in a context of significant transformations in the global order.