As with any event related to the current geopolitical situation, more specifically the relations between the West and Russia, Macedonian media outlets have set aside a huge space for the recently held BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, even before it started. We share part of what domestic media outlets focused on, with headlines dominating оn the topic of the global unblocking of Russia, the growing economic integration of non-Western countries and the participation of Serbia and Republika Srpska from the Western Balkans region at the summit
Author: Teofil Blazhevski
Macedonian media outlets paid great attention to the BRICS Summit in the city of Kazan, Russia, even before it started. Headlines on the topic of the increased influence of Russia through this organization dominated, with the Russian President Putin aiming to show the world his country is not isolated and gathers more and more world leaders. It was these kind of headlines that circulated among some media outlets (here, here, and here.) At the same time, some of the media outlets also shared the video from the ceremony the night before the opening, transmitting an extensive report by Al Jazeera.
Almost three years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine was condemned by countries around the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin organized a summit with more than a dozen world leaders. It is a clear signal from the Russian president that not only is he not isolated, but behind him stands a powerful coalition of countries, writes CNN, reports one of the media outlets.
Almost half of the world’s most important leaders, including Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are gathering in Kazan, Russia for the BRICS Summit in order to contest the domination of the West. The meeting represents the biggest Russian diplomatic event since its invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating Moscow’s resistance to Western isolation. The summit is held from the 22nd to the 24th of October.
Around twenty world leaders are gathered today in Russia at the opening of the summit of the BRICS group, an alliance of emerging economies that the Kremlin believes will challenge Western hegemony.
The summit is Russia’s largest such meeting since ordering troops into Ukraine and comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to show that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over the two-and-a-half-year offensive have failed, the media outlet reports.
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — all key partners of Russia — are supposed to attend the summit, which will be held in the city of Kazan from the 22nd to the 24th of October,” writes the portal, distributing content from the Serbian portal, including the headline of the text in the Serbian media outlet: “BUILDING BRICS BRICK BY BRICK: Putin demands economic unity, the West shows concern.”
The BRICS nations account for 45% of the world’s population and 35% of the global economy, although China holds half of the economic power.
“BRICS does not want to oppose anyone, however the change in the drivers of global worth is simply a fact. This is an association of states that work together on the basis of common values, a common vision for development and the principle of taking mutual interests into account, Putin said before the start of the summit, reports another Macedonian language media outlet.
Serbia and Republika Srpska — who is representing them?
Part of the media outlets are also focused on Serbia and the previous telephone conversation between Putin and Aleksadnar Vučić. At the same time, Vučić’s statement that he will not attend the summit for reasons he believes are clear to Putin, even if he weren’t busy with the reception of the Polish president on October 23 in Belgrade, is highlighted. However, at the same time, media outlets also point out in their headlines that Serbia will be represented by a four-member delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin. Some of the media outlets also shared Vulin’s statement with criticism toward EU’s policy, stating the “quickest route to membership seems to be to go to war with Russia.”
Some other media outlets, focused on the statement by the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, who stated it is “a great honor for Republika Srpska to take part in the event:”
“We are honored to be able to appear at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, where the group’s summit is taking place next week…We want to be where growth, development and new opportunities for cooperation are being discussed,” he said… “Now there is some pressure, and even threats, conditions, but the elections in America will show how naively Europe followed all their conditions and how some policies are changing,” added Dodik, pointing out that Republika Srpska will continue the policy of neutrality.
Media outlets reported agency news from Dodik’s interview with the official news agency of Republika Srpska, SRNA.
That said, media outlets reported statements from Dodik from the very day of the summit: “The president of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik said today in Kazan, Russia that BRICS is the only reliable and stable alternative to the existing world order and that this ‘peace movement’ should amplify further,” writes one of the domestic media outlets.
