Fidan expands bilateral talks at BRICS summit

RIO DE JANERIO

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stepped up bilateral diplomacy on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS summit in Brazil, holding a string of high-level meetings.

Fidan was expected to meet with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kazakh top diplomat Murat Nurtleu in Rio de Janeiro on July 7.

A day earlier, he sat down with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for separate talks.

The two-day leaders' summit brought together representatives from 11 member countries, 10 partner nations, and eight invited states, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Kenya, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay.

Nine international and regional organizations were also represented.

BRICS, originally formed in 2006 as "BRIC" by Brazil, Russia, India and China, was expanded in 2010 with the inclusion of South Africa.

It aims to bring together the world's developing countries to challenge the economic and political dominance of North America and western Europe.

Azerbaijan also submitted a formal application to join the alliance last year, a move that has been welcomed by Russia.

During a session at the summit, Fidan warned that Israel’s war in Gaza has "reversed decades of development" in the region.

"If Israel’s aggression and expansionism are not brought under control, the consequences will be felt globally,” diplomatic sources quoted him as saying.

Fidan said Israel’s actions have triggered a crisis for international institutions responsible for maintaining peace and security.

“The tragedy of the Palestinian people is now at the center of our discussions on multilateralism,” he said. “This situation is a serious crisis for the legitimacy of institutions responsible for maintaining international peace and security.”

Fidan said Türkiye is intensifying efforts to support a peaceful resolution and de-escalation in the region and stands ready to back lasting peace.