BRICS nations have launched large-scale joint projects in nuclear power, aviation, AI, and other critical sectors, as Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized during his address at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The economic bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is positioning itself as a key driver in the development of ‘human-centric industries,’ with initiatives focused on improving the living environment and advancing technological innovation. Putin noted that the group’s collective economic power has already surpassed a trillion dollars, underscoring the bloc’s growing influence in shaping global trade and development models.
Putin highlighted that BRICS is not only expanding its membership—having recently admitted Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia—but also strengthening its principles of consensus, parity, and mutual benefit. The Russian leader called for international collaboration to address global challenges, arguing that ‘solving problems alone… is an illusion.’ With participants from 137 countries and territories at this year’s SPIEF, the forum has become a central platform for discussing the future of global economic cooperation and technological advancement.