Rio de Janeiro, July 07, 2025 – The Europe Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared that the BRICS economic bloc represents a continuation of the non-aligned vision forged during the historic 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia. His remarks were delivered during a plenary session of the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, attended by world leaders including Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
“BRICS is a manifestation of the Bandung non-aligned movement. BRICS carries the spirit of Bandung,” President Lula stated, drawing a direct link between the BRICS platform and the post-colonial push for sovereignty, cooperation, and multipolarism championed by nations of the Global South in the mid-20th century.
Addressing global geopolitical challenges, Lula warned of an “unprecedented collapse of multilateralism,” despite the international aspirations embodied by the establishment of the United Nations 80 years ago. He emphasized that the UN was founded in 1945 as a response to the atrocities of fascism and to enshrine peace through global cooperation—principles that, he argued, are increasingly under threat.
Lula also invoked the legacy of the Bandung Conference held a decade after the UN’s founding, noting that it rejected the division of the world into competing zones of influence and laid the foundation for a multipolar world order.
“BRICS is the heir of the non-aligned movement,” Lula affirmed, reinforcing the bloc’s commitment to global equity, reform of international governance institutions, and the empowerment of developing nations.
President Prabowo Subianto led the Indonesian delegation and was the sixth leader to address the plenary, which centered on key global themes including peace, security, and institutional reform.
Other prominent leaders and representatives who attended and spoke at the session included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and Crown Prince Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates.
The summit continues to serve as a vital forum for emerging powers to articulate their shared vision of a just, inclusive, and multipolar international order.
