China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged BRICS countries to deepen financial and economic cooperation, saying the need for reform of the international financial architecture is becoming more urgent. "We should deepen financial and economic cooperation. We need to enhance the presentation and voice of Global South countries," said the Chinese President.
Xi, speaking at the BRICS summit in Russia's city of Kazan, called for a de-escalation in the Ukrainian crisis, and for no further expansion of the battlefield. He also called for a ceasefire in the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.
Later, the European Union on Wednesday urged countries attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, to ask President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow's war in Ukraine. More than 20 leaders, including Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are attending the summit. EU foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano condemned "Russia's misuse" of its chairmanship of the group, noting that there is an arrest warrant for the Russian leader.
"We trust that all participants of the summit in Kazan will use this event to call on Putin once again to immmediately end the war against the Ukrainian people," he said. The spokesperson also said the EU supports United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who is attending the summit. "We trust that he will reinforce the call on Russia and on Putin to completely and unconditionally stop the brutal aggression against the Ukrainian people," he said.
