BRICS leaders commit to building democratic, multipolar world order — Putin

MOSCOW — BRICS countries are committed to fostering a more democratic and multipolar world order, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, during his press conference on the last day of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan.

Putin noted on Thursday that the Kazan Declaration, endorsed at the summit, outlines a positive agenda for the future, the Kremlin reported.

“It is important that the declaration reaffirms the commitment of all our states to building a more democratic, inclusive, and multipolar world order based on international law and the UN Charter,” he said.

Putin also said that the BRICS group is open to all who share its values, with members dedicated to finding joint solutions free from external pressure or narrow approaches, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bloc does not operate in a closed format, he stressed at the press conference.

The Russian President confirmed that BRICS leaders have agreed on the list of BRICS partner countries.

“Some countries that have participated in these events have submitted their proposals and requests for full-fledged participation in the work of the BRICS association,” Putin added.

He said that BRICS nations haven’t developed and are not developing any alternatives to SWIFT, adding however that the issue remains important, and member countries are moving towards the use of national currencies.

He said BRICS members are currently using the Financial Messaging System created by the Russian Central Bank.