Moscow: PonteSud – News Desk
The 2025 BRICS Business Forum officially opened today in Rio de Janeiro, gathering high-level officials, business leaders, and global stakeholders to chart a shared course for sustainable development, innovation, and inclusive growth among the BRICS nations.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened the event by underlining the centrality of the productive sector in BRICS cooperation. “The entrepreneurs gathered here are the dynamic axis of the international economy. Together, the BRICS countries already represent over 40% of global GDP in purchasing power parity,” he stated.
He highlighted that BRICS nations outpaced global economic growth in 2024 with an average rate of 4 per cent, compared to the world’s 3.3%, and noted the group’s potential as a “hub for prosperous and dynamic economies.”
President Lula also praised the presence of Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, the ASEAN Сhair country, as a sign of growing ties between BRICS and Southeast Asia.
“We have much to learn from developing countries in terms of synergy,” Lula stated, stressing the importance of multilateralism, food security, and a reformed international financial architecture. In his remarks, Prime Minister Anwar echoed Lula’s vision for deeper South-South cooperation.
“What is spectacular in BRICS is the active role of the private sector, women, and youth. We are here to provide a voice for multilateralism and justice, a voice that includes the Global South, yet still engages the North as partners.”
He called on the group to “implement, not just discuss,” citing regional efforts between Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and China to trade in local currencies as an example of actionable change.
