Russian officials and experts gathered in Moscow for the first-ever “BRICS Day” to mark the anniversary of the association’s creation, with a senior diplomat identifying the integration of new members as a key priority for the bloc.
The event, held at the BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre, was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the inaugural BRICS summit in Yekaterinburg on 16 June 2009.
A roundtable discussion titled “BRICS Dialogue: Multilateral Cooperation as the Basis for a Multipolar World” was opened by Sergey Ryabkov, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the country’s BRICS Sherpa. He said one of the key tasks at the current stage is integrating new members and partners into the group’s existing cooperation mechanisms, adding that the role of BRICS as a “centre of global gravity” will continue to grow.
“We are very pleased that Arab nations have joined BRICS in recent times and that African representation has expanded. We are seeing a strong Eurasian component within BRICS,” Ryabkov said. “Latin America – particularly during Brazil’spresidency – is asserting itself actively, especially through the highly modern agenda proposed by the Brazilians. We support them and are confident the summit in Rio de Janeiro will deliver positive outcomes.”
The event was held at the All-Russian State Library for Foreign Literature and co-organised by TV BRICS. Other speakers represented the Aleksander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts – GITIS, among other institutions.
Janna Tolstikova, CEO of TV BRICS, described the BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre as a platform for shaping the humanitarian agenda of the association. Marina Zakharenko, Director General of the library, added that the institution provides extensive opportunities for projects related to the cultures of member countries.
Experts at the event highlighted its role in fostering academic dialogue. Evgeny Kapoguzov, Head of the Research and Training Laboratory for the Study of BRICS Economies at Moscow State University, stated that such meetings enable experts to exchange ideas and identify common ground.
“It provides a basis for dialogue, for identifying closer points of cooperation – in exchange programmes, educational initiatives, and partnerships between BRICS+ libraries,” the expert noted.
The event concluded with a cultural programme featuring music, poetry, and dance from BRICS countries performed by the group “The Foreigners”.
The BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre was established in October 2024 by the Library for Foreign Literature in partnership with TV BRICS to promote humanitarian cooperation, culture, science, and education across the member countries.
