RIAC at the “BRICS+ Brazil 2025: Opportunities and Challenges” Summit

On November 6 and 7, the summit “BRICS+ Brazil 2025: Opportunities and Challenges” was held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Brazil). The event was organized jointly by the Russia–Latin America Observatory of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Ruslat-PUC Minas) and Kazan Federal University.

On November 7, the summit hosted a session on “BRICS+ Economic Cooperation: Opportunities in Latin America,” where participants discussed the challenges and prospects of economic and financial interaction within BRICS, as well as engagement between BRICS members and Latin American states, with a particular focus on the positions of Russia and Brazil.

On November 6 and 7, the summit “BRICS+ Brazil 2025: Opportunities and Challenges” was held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Brazil). The event was organized jointly by the Russia–Latin America Observatory of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Ruslat-PUC Minas) and Kazan Federal University.

On November 7, the summit hosted a session on “BRICS+ Economic Cooperation: Opportunities in Latin America,” where participants discussed the challenges and prospects of economic and financial interaction within BRICS, as well as engagement between BRICS members and Latin American states, with a particular focus on the positions of Russia and Brazil.

Alexandra Terzi, Program Coordinator at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), delivered a presentation on Russia’s approach to economic cooperation with Latin America and BRICS. She outlined Moscow’s position toward the region, the key obstacles to expanding cooperation, opportunities for diversifying international settlements among BRICS countries, and the prospects for technological collaboration. She also offered recommendations for strengthening ties in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

Also presenting at the event were Antonio Cottas de Jesus Freitas, Deputy Head for International Finance and Economic Cooperation at the Secretariat for International Affairs of the Ministry of Finance of Brazil, and Daniela Sequecheis Vieira, Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais and Co-founder of the Russia–Latin America Observatory.

The discussion included contributions from Fabiano Melnichuk, Professor of Political Science at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, instructor in the graduate program in International Strategic Studies, and member of the NEBRICS research group, as well as Luiza Calvette Costa, Director General of the Center for Integration and Cooperation between Russia and Latin America (CICRAL) in Brazil.