Month: October 2024

Cross-Message From Kazan

By Nina Bachkatov

Despite being previously dismissed as a low-key exercise, the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan attracted significant international attention. This year’s gathering took place amid a tense geopolitical backdrop: Israel’s actions in Iran, North Korean soldiers arriving in Russia’s Far East en route to the Ukrainian front, and uncertainty surrounding UN Secretary-General Guterres’ response to his invitation.

The BRICS coalition was launched in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, later adding South Africa in 2010. Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the UAE joined at last year’s summit, while Belarus gained partner status this year. In total, 32 countries were represented, two-thirds by their heads of state, including NATO member Turkey, represented by President Erdogan. Brazil’s president was absent due to health concerns.

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EU Eyes Moldova and Georgia

By Nina Bachkatov

On 20 October, Moldova will hold its presidential election, followed by parliamentary elections in Georgia on 25 October. In ordinary times, these events would likely pass with limited interest from voters and even less from the international community. But in 2024, the war in Ukraine looms over every development in the former Soviet space, casting these elections in the light of relations between Russia and the West. In both countries, the electoral contest is framed as a choice between “pro-European” factions seeking to distance themselves from Moscow’s influence and “pro-Russian” parties aligning with the Kremlin. This is particularly the case in Moldova, where the pro-EU government led by President Maia Sandu has coupled the presidential election with a referendum on whether to enshrine EU membership in the Constitution.

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