Brazil takes over the chair of BRICS in 2025

It is now 2025, and Brazil has taken over the mantle of  the BRICS charmanship from Russia for the .next 12 months. The South American country will be hosting meetings at various levels, and the summit will likely take place in Rio de Janeiro, where the G20 meeting was held just a few months ago. It is noteworthy that Brazil considers the BRICS format to be increasingly aligned with that of the G20. The country's presdident say they will continue to advance its agenda, focusing on poverty alleviation, tax system reform, and the restructuring of international organisations. In addition, the Brazilian government is expected to work towards clarifying the status of 13 partner countries, as well as establishing a unified payment system, building on the Russian initiative.
Now that  the BRICS presidency officially passed from Russia to Brazil, thus marking the second consecutive year that the Latin American country will serve as the focal point for high-level political engagement. In 2024, the country chaired the G20. It was for this reason that Brazil asked Russia to change the order of the BRICS presidency.

It is likely that Rio de Janeiro will be the venue for the main event of the unification, namely the meeting at the level of heads of state. At least, the main events of the G20 in 2024 were held there. Last November, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, proposed to the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, that the summit be held there.

Furthermore, the head of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Mauro Vieira, has stated that the BRICS is approaching the level of the G20 format. He noted that the leadership of the republic intends to organise several important meetings and events at the highest level.
It is not yet known whether Vladimir Putin will be able to attend the main BRICS event, but it is likely that the Brazilian side's initiative last year to provide the Russian leader with guarantees of safe entry into the country will remain in force. The nuance is that Brazil is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader in 2023.
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Brazil's position is that the principle of immunity for heads of state is essential for maintaining peaceful international relations. The Brazilian presidency of the BRICS group will be based on the deepening of interstate relations. During his speech at the summit in Kazan (October 22-24), Lula da Silva noted that the motto will be "Strengthening cooperation with the Global South for more inclusive and sustainable governance."
Ana Livia Esteves, a lecturer in World Economy and International Affairs at the having Higher School of Economics and a Sputnik journalist, has stated that Brazil will most likely focus its efforts on issues of economic development and the fight against poverty and inequality.

She also notes that Brazilian officials have proposed including issues such as digital governance, artificial intelligence from the perspective of the Global South, reform of the international financial system, international tax reform, and cooperation in the field of healthcare on the agenda. Given Brazil's role as the upcoming COP-30 chair, a significant focus on climate change is anticipated. The expert informed Izvestia that Brazil intends to use the BRICS platform to achieve consensus on climate issues, with the aim of holding a successful COP-30 in the second half of 2025.

Another key topic will be the ongoing discussion of the partner countries category, which was introduced during Russia's presidency. In 2024, 13 states joined BRICS in this status. These include Bolivia, Cuba, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. According to Livia Esteves, Brazil will have to determine what rights this category of states will have. Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov noted that their status will be close to full membership.
Brazil is likely to propose a review of the UN Security Council at a meeting of the BRICS countries, according to Persio Gloria de Paula, a senior research fellow at the Brazilian Naval College's Group for the Assessment of the Conjuncture. Earlier, the Brazilian Ambassador to Russia, Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, told Izvestia that his country is interested in the permanent members of the Security Council being more representive with the inclusion of countries of the Global South, in particular Brazil.

Russia also endorses this position. The convergence of positions between the two countries is expected to catalyse the development of additional initiatives, particularly those tailored to the specific needs of the BRICS nations, such as the establishment of a unified settlement platform. During its 2024 presidency, Russia developed a detailed proposal for a new independent infrastructure. The cross-border payment initiative, as it is known, is based on national currencies and interaction between the central banks of the participating countries. Even before the Kazan summit, Vieira acknowledged that Brazilian companies would pay for gas and oil from the Russian Federation through the national currency mechanism. It is anticipated that Brazil, in its capacity as the chair, will play a pivotal role in further developing the initiatives initiated by Russia and determining specific subsequent actions.
Ana Livia Esteves anticipates that the Brazilian presidency will prioritise the adaptation of recently enrolled countries, as opposed to pursuing additional expansion of the association.

— The BRICS needs to complete not only the full integration of new permanent members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined the group on January 1, 2024. — Izvestia), but also the consolidation of a new category of partner countries — this is a complex task. Brazil seems content with the entry of Cuba and Bolivia into the BRICS partners and will work to consolidate their presence in the group, according to the expert.

At the same time, if there is talk of new partner countries joining, priority will most likely be given to Latin American countries that maintain stable and positive diplomatic relations with both Brazil and other BRICS members, says Persio Gloria de Paula.
Colombia is one of the potential candidates for entry. The issue has already been discussed between the heads of state of Bogotá and Brasília. Furthermore, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo has previously confirmed his country's interest in cooperation with the group in a conversation with Izvestia.

BRICS holds particular appeal for countries of the Global South due to a number of interconnected factors that extend beyond economic considerations to political and strategic spheres. BRICS facilitates countries of the Global South in accessing robust partnerships and enhanced representation on the global stage, as articulated by Persio Gloria de Paula.
In terms of Venezuela and Nicaragua, who were hoping to receive partner status at the Kazan summit, it is difficult to predict whether they will be able to compete for a place in BRICS during the Brazilian presidency.Media reports suggest that Nicaragua and Venezuela were unable to receive the desired status at the Kazan summit due to a veto by Brazil, which has strained relations with both countries.

The discord between Nicaragua and Brazil surfaced in July 2024, when Brasilia opted against sending representatives to the commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista People's Revolution, leading to Nicaragua's expulsion of the Brazilian ambassador, a move reciprocated by Brazil.Brazil's relations with Venezuela have been marked by strain following the presidential elections in the Bolivarian Republic, with Lula da Silva asserting his lack of recognition for the results. In contrast, Caracas declared Nicolas Maduro the winner of the vote without publishing the results of the ballot processing.The official inauguration of the Venezuelan president is scheduled for 10 January, and it is likely that the direction of relations between Caracas and Brasilia will become clearer after this date.