Brazilian President Lula da Silva has called for an online meeting of BRICS leaders on September 8 to discuss US President Donald Trump’s new tariff policy. Bloomberg reports that the leaders of Russia and China will attend, but the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will not be present; the country will be represented by its Foreign Minister.
China has confirmed that Xi Jinping will deliver a “major speech,” and Putin’s participation has also been announced.
The meeting will be closed to the press, and the leaders themselves will decide whether to publish their speeches. No general statement is planned.
Bloomberg notes that Brazil’s initiative is not only about trade issues, but also about uniting major developing countries around the principle of multilateral cooperation.
