Civil defence rescue vehicles arrive at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on the village of Qana in southern Lebanon on October 16, 2024. Israel expanded operations in Lebanon nearly a year after Hezbollah began exchanging fire in support of its ally, Hamas, following the Palestinian group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. (Photo by Bilal KASHMAR / AFP)
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his opening address at the Brics summit in Kazan yesterday, called on “the countries of the world to not to fund or facilitate Israel’s genocidal actions”.
“As the world bears witness to the continued plight of the Palestinian people, South Africa is compelled to emulate that spirit of solidarity,” Ramaphosa said.
“As a country, we understand the value of global support for a people’s right to self-determination and statehood.
“We are gravely concerned at the further escalation of a conflict that has already caused so much death and destruction.
“The International Court of Justice has made it clear that the international community has a duty to prevent genocide by Israel,” Ramaphosa said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin touted the creation of a new “multipolar world order” at the summit, a gathering of world leaders he hopes will show that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over its Ukraine offensive have failed.
The meeting in Kazan is the largest diplomatic forum in Russia since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022, triggering a barrage of Western sanctions.
About 20 leaders, including from China, India and Iran, will address topics such as developing a Brics-led international payment system and the conflict in the Middle East.
Moscow sees the platform as an alternative to Western-led international organisations like the G7 – a position supported by key ally Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“The process of forming a multipolar world order is underway, a dynamic and irreversible process,” Putin said at the official opening.
The Brics organisation was “strengthening its authority in international affairs”, Putin said, as he called on its members to consider how they could address the most pressing issues on the global agenda, including “acute regional conflicts”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Russia yesterday to attend the summit, his first visit to the country for more than two years, which has drawn scorn from Ukraine. Putin hailed Moscow’s close ties and “strategic partnerships” with its partners during talks on Tuesday with leaders, including Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Xi praised China’s “profound” ties with Russia in what he called a “chaotic” world.
Russia and China’s relations have “injected strong impetus into the development, revitalisation and modernisation of the two countries”, Xi said.
Putin said he saw relations between Beijing and China as a foundation of global “stability.”
Security in Kazan is tight around the summit. The surrounding Tatarstan region, about 1 000km from the Ukraine border, has previously been hit in drone attacks launched by Kyiv.
But Moscow is intent on not letting the conflict overshadow the summit and is laying out a warm welcome.
Women wearing traditional Tatar costumes greeted the arriving delegations, who were offered sweet Tatar pastries made from flour and honey.
Starting in 2009 with four members – Brazil, Russia, India and China – Brics has since expanded to include other emerging nations such as South Africa, Egypt and Iran.
Underpinning his vision of the group as a challenge to the West, Putin held separate talks with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro yesterday.
He also met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Türkiye, a Nato member, is casting itself as a possible mediator between Russia and Ukraine and strives for warm relations with Moscow.
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