The event brings together active diplomats, representatives of the country’s leading research centers and universities, experts in international relations, representatives of federal and regional media, as well as all those interested in current policy issues.

Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, representative of the executive authority of the Samara region Farit Mukhametshin via videoconference opened the IV Week of Russian Diplomacy, which has been held annually since 2019 at the Regional Center for the Development of Public Diplomacy and International Relations named after Evgeniy M.Primakov at Samara University.

This year, the theme of the event is devoted to the prospects of the BRICS development in global governance, as well as to the issues of interstate cooperation in the framework of trade and economic relations. In 2024, Russia will hold the BRICS Chairmanship, and the central events will be held in Kazan. According to the Decree of the President of Russia, the arrangement committee to prepare and ensure Russia’s BRICS Chairmanship will be formed in the near future.

Opening the event, Farit Mukhametshin noted that holding the Week of Russian Diplomacy at Samara University has become a good tradition: “Russia acts as one of the sovereign centers of world development and carries out the mission to maintain the global balance of power in a multipolar world. The Federation Council attaches great importance to cooperation with the BRICS countries. On the agenda the issue of strengthening trade and economic relations with the countries of this bloc”.

Ambassador at Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia’s sous-herpa to BRICS Pavel Knyazev sent a welcoming video message to the forum participants. In his speech, he noted the significant trade and economic potential of the BRICS countries: “The BRICS countries are a huge market that covers more than 40% of the world’s population. Mutual trade between the BRICS countries is growing steadily despite the geopolitical crisis. The combined GDP of the BRICS is higher in purchasing power parity than that of the Group of Seven”.

This year Week events are also attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Republic of South Africa and part-time Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho Ilya Rogachev and acting Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kirill Babaev, acting Director of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dmitry Rosenthal and others.

Source: Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs