BRICS parliamentary cooperation gains a new protocol

Ethiopia joined as the group expanded its representation in Africa beyond South Africa and Egypt.

Iran joined the group following the Johannesburg invitation, broadening participation from West Asia.

The UAE joined BRICS following its 2023 invitation. It had separately become an NDB member in 2021.

The first BRICS Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum brought together business networks and drew attention to women’s access to finance and innovation.

The forum advanced a roadmap for tourism exchanges, skills, sustainable tourism and digital services.

A US$1 billion loan supported water supply and sanitation infrastructure in municipalities, addressing basic service gaps.

At their ninth annual meeting, governors discussed sustainable investment and the bank’s development priorities in its African host country.

A R5 billion agreement aimed to modernize South Africa’s freight rail system and improve logistics.

The leaders placed more representative global governance, sustainable development and cooperation among the expanded membership at the centre of the summit.

The Kazan Declaration endorsed modalities for a category through which other emerging and developing countries could cooperate without becoming full members.