BRICS brings predictability for development of smaller nations: Azerbaijani expert

China

BRICS brings predictability for development of smaller nations: Azerbaijani expert

2026-09-13 11:32 Last Updated At：11:37

The BRICS cooperation mechanism creates greater predictability for smaller countries in an increasingly unstable world, said an Azerbaijani expert.

Established 20 years ago, the BRICS has now become the world's most influential platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries.

As BRICS leaders are gathering in New Delhi, India for the 18th BRICS Summit this weekend, Farhad Mammadov, director of the Center for Studies of the South Caucasus, sat with the China Global Television Network to talk about the significance of the event and explain the reason why Azerbaijan has formally applied to join the bloc.

"The political dialogue taking place within the framework of BRICS is of great importance to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's application to join the cooperation mechanism reflects, first and foremost, the recognition of the value of political dialogue conducted within the organization. The current world order and international relations are facing a crisis, leaving small and medium-sized countries in an unstable environment. The emergence of cooperation mechanisms like BRICS makes it possible to establish at least some degree of predictability," he said.

Mammadov pointed out that as regional conflicts in key waterways force global trade to shift toward alternative land corridors, the BRICS and Chinese initiatives can help Azerbaijan strengthen its role as a regional transit hub.

"Traditional trade routes used for decades are now in high-risk zones. There is a pressing need to develop new overland routes that offer greater safety and predictability for major producers. In this context, financial mechanisms established by China and within the BRICS framework create opportunities for implementing major infrastructure projects, which also involve Azerbaijan to varying degrees. Consequently, cooperation with both Chinese financial institutions and BRICS platforms is a key part of Azerbaijan's efforts to further expand and deepen its role as a transit hub," Mammadov said.

BRICS was initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China, later expanding with the addition of South Africa. Today, the bloc has expanded to 11 member countries and 10 partner countries, becoming a force for advancing a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations.

BRICS boosts Egypt’s space sector development, deepens cooperation: official

Egypt is leveraging the BRICS platform to advance its domestic space technology and forge closer ties with fellow member states in the space sector, said a senior official from the Egyptian Space Agency.

The 18th BRICS Summit, held in India's capital city New Delhi from Saturday to Sunday under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," has gathered leaders from 11 full member states, 10 partner countries, and invited guests.

In a recent interview with CGTN, Haitham Akah, senior director for space systems design from the Egyptian Space Agency, elaborated on the role BRICS plays in boosting Egypt's space capabilities and strengthening collaborative ties across the grouping.

"BRICS is one of the platforms that facilitate cooperation with leading countries in different sectors, especially in space. We are still working on that. In the BRICS group, we attended the last breakfast meeting and we are hoping to participate also in the next one. We are preparing the floor for more benefit, more cooperation in this area soon," he said.

He further highlighted the close working relationships Egypt has forged with BRICS member states in the space field through the multilateral framework.

"We are actually connecting with them very closely and actually BRICS brings us more together, especially of course, China, India, Russia, UAE, South Africa, Brazil. So we are already having good talks and good relationship with them. We are building up on that and trying to move forward," he added.

Since its inception two decades ago, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has grown into a major platform representing emerging markets and developing economies across the globe.