Living in Unification: What to Expect from Brazil's BRICS Presidency
The BRICS chairmanship will pass from Russia to Brazil in 2025. The South American state will host meetings of various levels, and the summit is likely to be held in Rio de Janeiro, where the G20 meeting was held just a few months ago. By the way, Brazil believes that BRICS is already approaching the format of the G20. The country will continue to promote its agenda - fighting poverty, reforming the tax system and international organizations. In addition, the republic is likely to work on clarifying the status of the 13 partner countries, as well as on a common settlement system, continuing the Russian initiative. How BRICS may change in 2025 - in the material of "Izvestia".
Brazil's priorities for the BRICS presidency
On January 1, the BRICS chairmanship officially passed from Russia to Brazil - this will be the second year in a row when the Latin American state will become the center of attraction for the highest-level politicians. In 2024, the country chaired the G20. By the way, it was for this reason that Brazil asked Russia to change the order of presidency in BRICS.
Rio de Janeiro is likely to be the capital of the main event of the association - the meeting at the level of heads of state. At least the main events of the G20 in 2024 will be held there. Last November, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes said that he had already offered Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to hold the summit there.
By the way, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that BRICS is approaching the G20 format. He noted that the leadership of the republic intends to organize several important meetings and events at the highest level at once.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira
It is still unknown whether Vladimir Putin will be able to attend the main BRICS event, but it is likely that last year's initiative of the Brazilian side to provide the Russian leader with guarantees of safe entry into the country will remain in force. The nuance is that Brazil is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader in 2023.
Brazil argues that immunity for leaders is necessary to maintain peaceful relations between countries. In general, it is the deepening of interstate ties that will form the basis of the republic's BRICS presidency. During his speech at the summit in Kazan, which took place Oct. 22-24, Lula da Silva said the motto will be "Strengthening cooperation with the Global South for more inclusive and sustainable governance."
Brazil is likely to focus its efforts on economic development and fighting poverty and inequality, said Ana Livia Esteves, a lecturer at the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, and Sputnik journalist.
- In addition, Brazilian officials suggested including such issues as digital governance, artificial intelligence from the perspective of the Global South, reform of the international financial system, international tax reform and cooperation in the field of health care. We can also expect a focus on climate as Brazil will also chair COP-30. It will use the BRICS platform to reach consensus on climate issues, hoping for a successful COP-30 in the second half of 2025," the expert noted to Izvestia.
The discussion of the category of partner countries introduced during Russia's presidency will also be an important topic . In 2024, 13 countries joined BRICS in this status. Among them are Bolivia, Cuba, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. According to Livia Esteves, Brazil will have to determine what rights this category of states will have. Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted that their status will be close to full membership.
Brazil is also likely to seek to draw the attention of the BRICS countries to the need for global reform of the UN Security Council, according to Percio Gloria de Paula, a senior researcher in the conjuncture assessment group at the Brazilian Naval War College. Earlier, Brazilian Ambassador to Russia Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares told Izvestia that his country is interested in the permanent members of the Security Council being more represented by countries of the Global South, particularly Brazil.
By the way, Russia is also in favor of the same. The similarity of the two countries' positions should give impetus to the development of other initiatives that are more substantive for BRICS, such as a single platform for settlements. During its presidency in 2024, Russia developed a detailed proposal for a new independent infrastructure. The so-called cross-border payment initiative is based on national currencies and interaction between the central banks of member countries. Even before the Kazan summit, Vieira, for example, admitted that Brazilian companies would pay for gas and oil from Russia through the mechanism of national currencies. Brazil's chairmanship is expected to help deepen the initiatives launched by Russia and identify concrete next steps.
How BRICS may change in 2025
The Brazilian presidency is likely to be focused on adapting the recently joined countries rather than further expanding the association, says Ana Livia Esteves.
- BRICS needs to complete not only the full integration of the new permanent members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined the group on January 1, 2024. - "Izvestia"), but also the consolidation of a new category of partner countries - this is a complex task. Brazil seems to be satisfied with the entry of Cuba and Bolivia as BRICS partners and will work to consolidate their presence in the group," the expert said.
At the same time, if it comes to the accession of new partner countries, priority will most likely be given to the Latin American countries that maintain stable and positive diplomatic relations with Brazil and other BRICS members, says Percio Gloria de Paula.
Colombia is seen as one of the potential candidates for accession. Bogota and Brasilia have already discussed this issue at the level of heads of state. In addition, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo confirmed his country's interest in cooperating with the group in a conversation with Izvestia.
- BRICS is particularly attractive to the Global South due to a number of interrelated factors that go beyond economic considerations to the political and strategic spheres. BRICS allows countries of the Global South to access strong partners, as well as to gain greater representation in the international arena," explained Percio Gloria de Paula.
As for Venezuela and Nicaragua, which had hoped to gain partner status at the Kazan summit, it is difficult to predict whether they will be able to compete for a place in BRICS during the Brazilian presidency. Thus, according to media reports, Nicaragua and Venezuela could not get the desired status at the Kazan summit due to the veto of Brazil, which has strained relations with both countries.
The conflict between Nicaragua and Brazil occurred in July 2024, when Brasilia decided not to send its representatives to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista People's Revolution. The Nicaraguan authorities ordered the expulsion of the Brazilian ambassador, to which the latter responded in the same way.
Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia
Brazil's relations with Venezuela began to deteriorate after the presidential elections in the Bolivarian republic - Lula da Silva stressed that he would not recognize their results. Caracas declared Nicolas Maduro the winner of the vote, without publishing the result of processing 100% of the ballots. The official inauguration of the Venezuelan president is scheduled for January 10. After this date, it will probably become clearer in what way relations between Caracas and Brasilia will continue to develop.
