Maduro meets Putin during BRICS summit in Russia; Venezuela’s integration into the bloc has not yet been defined

(CNN Spanish) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a bilateral meeting this Wednesday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who recognized the South American country as “one of Russia’s old and reliable partners in Latin America and the world in general.” Maduro is in Russia since Tuesday with a delegation to attend the BRICS summit.

Putin, who was chairing the meeting, said he supported Venezuela’s aspiration to join the group of emerging economies. The President also highlighted that both countries have many projects to cooperate in economy, politics, science and culture, among other subjects.

Starting with Russia, Brazil, China, India and South Africa, the group has recently included Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Venezuela was left out of the final list of countries wishing to become partners at Brazil’s request.

To join, a government can submit an expression of interest and member states must reach a consensus.

“I do not defend Venezuela’s entry. I think you have to go slowly. There is no point in filling the (BRICS) countries, otherwise a new G-77 will soon be created, “Celso Amorim, advisor to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for international affairs, in a statement to affiliate CNN Brazil this Monday. Said. From CNN.

Venezuela has not commented on Brazil’s refusal to join the group. CNN has consulted with the Ministry of Communications on whether they continue to have interest in joining the bloc and what information they have received in this regard.

Maduro, who arrived in Kazan this Tuesday, assured that Venezuela “is on the path to BRICS because it has been on the path to balance in the world since the time of Bolivar and because we want to build a multipolar, polycentric world and we adhere to the principles of BRICS conviction. “Practice”.
Upon arriving in Russia, Maduro also said that BRICS is “hope for the countries of the South, that we aspire to development and that we carry the flag of equality and freedom.” He also expressed his intention to “have the possibility of reaching an economy that is not managed through the use of sanctions.”

The Venezuelan President has highlighted meetings and encounters with other state leaders, such as President of the Palestinian Autonomous Government Mahmoud Abbas; Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko; Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, and Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, among others.

Osmery Hernandez contributed to this report.