BRICS Podcast (EN)

The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. To draw public attention to the growing risks facing steppe, desert and dryland ecosystems and to the role of pastoral communities in protecting them, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification launched the international initiative "Silk Road Caravan" – an expedition across Eurasian rangelands with participant...

Gauteng currently accounts for around a third of the Republic of South Africa’s GDP. The province is a major transport, logistics and manufacturing hub for the country. The development of these sectors is also supported by partner experience – regional officials frequently travel abroad to study best practices. In the first five months of 2026 alone, a delegation visited Russian cities twice. TV B...

Johan Badenhorst spent about seven years preparing for his journey across Russia. In May 2026, the expedition set out from Murmansk – the largest city in the world north of the Arctic Circle. Over 2.5 months on the truck, the South African traveller and his team plan to cover roughly 20,000 km and visit 30 regions of Russia. The footage from the trip will form the basis of a multi-part documentary...

Over the years, the New Development Bank has approved approximately 120 projects worldwide, totalling more than US$39 billion. Many of these projects are well known, including Line 6 of the Qingdao Metro in China; the large-scale Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut project in India; and, in early 2026, financing was also approved for the construction of Brazil’s largest power transmission line, the Graca A...

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The key goal set by the government is to achieve a GDP of US$5 trillion. BRICS partners are helping to unlock the potential. Mutual trade turnover with Russia exceeded US$60 billion in 2025, and the two countries intend to increase it to US$100 billion by 2030. What will help achieve this goal? How is India's partnership with other BRICS...

At the end of 2025, Indonesia signed a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. The new trade regime between the two parties provides preferential access to 90 per cent of goods from the Indonesian side. The EAEU covers 90.5 per cent of the product range for the new partner. Meanwhile, Moscow and Jakarta continue to strengthen their strategic partnership. Indonesian President Prabowo...

In 2025, Nigeria was granted BRICS partner country status. This has provided the Republic with new prospects for development in trade, education, healthcare, and technology. Emmanuel Chukwuka Johnson, Chairman of the Russia-Nigeria Trade and Investment Advisory Council, discussed the potential for further expansion of the Republic's cooperation with the countries of the group. The speaker believes...

A roadmap for the development of peaceful nuclear energy, untapped mineral wealth and a tourism boom – Russia and Zimbabwe intensified their cooperation across multiple sectors in 2026. The republic, endowed with resources crucial for global industry and the green transition, is seeking to elevate its economic ties to the same high level as its long-standing political and diplomatic relations with...

Indonesia is one of the centers of energy transformation in Southeast Asia. By 2050, the country intends to increase the share of green energy in its overall energy mix to 31 per cent, and by 2060, it aims to achieve carbon neutrality. What opportunities does BRICS membership provide for Indonesia’s energy sector? What is the current national energy security index score for country? We talked abou...

More than five centuries ago the great Russian navigator Afanasy Nikitin voyaged to India, laying the foundations for relations between the two countries. Nowadays the countries cooperate in a number of important areas, among them are education, culture, science and economics. In what ways is Afanasy Nikitin revered in India? Why is another Russian figure – orientalist Andrey Snesarev – considered...

A roadmap for the development of peaceful nuclear energy until 2030, negotiations on the modernisation of hydroelectric power facilities and LNG supplies – Russia and Vietnam intensified their cooperation in the energy sector in 2025. The residents of the republic are convinced that science and technology are the key driving forces for its development. We talked about this with Bui Minh Phuong, a...

Recently, the partnership between Russia and African countries in the field of culture and art has reached a qualitatively new level. This is particularly facilitated by the BRICS platform. In 2017, a decision was made to establish the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries to strengthen cultural exchange and cooperation. At the second Russia-Africa summit, the parties went even further and c...

In recent years, BRICS has entered a new phase of development, expanding both its membership and its strategic agenda. According to experts, this transformation reflects the growing appeal of the group as a platform for equitable global technical, scientific, and economic cooperation. Infrastructure development, green economy initiatives, and academic collaboration are becoming key pillars of BRIC...

In the 15 years of South Africa's membership in BRICS, the country has become one of the most important members of the grouping and contributes significantly to its work. In 2023, South Africa chaired BRICS, emphasising the importance of "partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism". To this day, South Africa continues to actively promote mult...

Studying materials in extreme conditions is a promising area of research that helps to uncover previously unknown secrets about our planet. According to Chinese-American geophysicist Ho-Kwang Mao, the scale and importance of the high-pressure area correspond to a separate branch of physics. The complexity of these studies is quite high, so they require the exchange of international experience. The...

Malaysia is actively developing economic ties with ASEAN countries but is also interested in strengthening the Global South, seeing a significant role for BRICS. In 2025, Malaysia was granted the status of a partner country of the group. Today, this Southeast Asian state implements digital technologies across different sectors of its economy, investing considerable financial resources into data ce...

During World War II, Brazil made a significant contribution to the struggle of its allies against the Nazi forces, which became its only direct participation in the global conflict. The country entered the war in 1942 and became the only Latin American state to send its troops to participate in the fighting in Europe. More than 25,000 Brazilian soldiers were sent to Italy in 1944-1945 as part of t...

The “Ramayana” and the “Mahabharata” are ancient Indian epic works written in Sanskrit. These texts contain myths about the life of the kings and raise philosophical questions about choice, loyalty, and duty. The books have been translated into many languages of the world. Separate works have been created based on the “Ramayana” and the “Mahabharata”, explaining the original poems. TV BRICS report...

2024 was a breakthrough year for relations between Russia and India. The leaders' meeting in Moscow, the BRICS summit in Kazan and a series of working meetings strengthened the partnership. The focus is on the economy. TV BRICS reporter: Anna Gryzlova

India is actively building up its partnership both with the countries that are at the origins of the creation of the BRICS and with those who have recently joined the group. The country continues to actively develop joint projects with Russia in science, education, culture, and economy and exchange experience in the field of sustainable development.  TV BRICS reporter: Yana Panferova

In 2024, Ethiopia became a member of the BRICS. Being one of the fastest growing economies in the global system, the Republic aims to enhance its trade volume and strengthen ties with members of the group. Environmental protection and reduction of desertification are key spheres to Ethiopia within the context of BRICS cooperation. How Ethiopia can tackle climate challenges together with BRICS? Wha...

2024 marks Russia's BRICS Chairmanship, also recognised globally as the year of the group's major expansion. Richard Sakwa, a professor at the University of Kent, Moscow State University, and Senior Research Fellow at the Higher School of Economics, shared his views on the contributions each new BRICS member country has made to the group. What role does the group play in shaping a multipolar world...

The interest in BRICS studies is growing rapidly among publishers and scholars worldwide. The topics of financial, environmental cooperation, cultural, and educational exchange are under the academic lens of the BRICS Research Institute in South Africa. Along with other areas, an increasing role of the African continent in the group is also under the focus of their studies. What are the main achie...

The Kingdom of Thailand is actively developing partnership with Russia. The trade turnover between the countries continues to show rapid growth. What potential does Thailand see in joining BRICS? Will the Russian national payment system MIR be implemented in the Kingdom? Sasiwat Wongsinsawat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Russian Federation, answere...

A new international financial centre is emerging for BRICS and countries of the global digital majority. What is the Global Digital Majority? What can boost cooperation between Russia and ASEAN in the sphere of the digital economy? What are the prospects for introducing the BRICS common currency? What is the future of digital currencies? The co-founder of the International Digital Economies Associ...