BRICS AND WEST ASIA: HOW A STRATEGIC REALIGNMENT IS TAKING SHAPE IN GLOBAL ORDER

With its strategic location, economic strength and critical fossil energy reserves, the West Asian nations are an important addition and present an opportunity for the BRICS

- Col Rajeev Agarwal

The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 22-24 August 2023. Unlike many previous summits which could be called more as ‘routine’, this Summit created a great deal of buzz and excitement months before it even took shape. It was the first physical meeting after the Covid-19 pandemic as the summits of 2020, 2021 and 2022 were held through video conferencing. It also came under the backdrop of ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the Russian President Putin, who, despite assurances from the host, South Africa of his safety and no arrest, finally decided not to travel to South Africa and chose to be present via video conferencing. The Summit also brought the Chinese and Indian leaders face to face on a global platform with speculations rife on whether the two will meet on the sidelines of the event, in the face of unresolved military engagement in Eastern Ladakh in India.