Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Discusses BRICS Summit and Regional Tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Moscow, Russia – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that Palestine expects an invitation to the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia in the ‘outreach’ format. This announcement came after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Abbas stated, “We have also discussed BRICS. We have reached a verbal agreement that Palestine would be invited [to attend this forum] in the ‘outreach’ format.” The two leaders discussed the bilateral ties between their countries.
Abbas highlighted that all BRICS member countries—Brazil, India, China, Russia, and South Africa—along with new members Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, share friendly ties with Palestine. He mentioned that a special meeting could be organized to focus exclusively on Palestine, allowing all countries to voice their views on the developments in the region.
Russia took over the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2024, and will host a key BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024. BRICS, established in 2006, has expanded twice, with South Africa joining in 2011 and five new members—Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia—joining on January 1, 2024.
Abbas also discussed regional tensions, including the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and potential retaliation from Iran. He expressed concerns about the unpredictable timing of Iran’s retaliatory attack against Israel, hoping the situation does not escalate further.
Tensions in West Asia have been high since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza. In response, Israel initiated a military operation in the Palestinian enclave. The situation escalated further with the killings of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah’s top military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, with Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah holding Israel responsible and promising retaliation.
Doubts Revealed
Palestinian President -: The Palestinian President is the leader of Palestine, a region in the Middle East. Mahmoud Abbas is the current president.
Mahmoud Abbas -: Mahmoud Abbas is the leader of Palestine. He works to represent and lead the Palestinian people.
BRICS Summit -: The BRICS Summit is a meeting of leaders from five countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. They discuss important global issues.
Regional Tensions -: Regional tensions refer to conflicts or disagreements between countries or groups in a specific area. In this case, it involves Palestine, Israel, and other nearby countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin -: Vladimir Putin is the leader of Russia. He makes important decisions for the country and meets with other world leaders.
Friendly ties -: Friendly ties mean good relationships between countries. Palestine has good relationships with the BRICS countries.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh -: Ismail Haniyeh is a leader of Hamas, a group in Palestine. He was recently assassinated, which means he was killed.
Retaliation from Iran -: Retaliation means to fight back or respond to an attack. Iran might respond to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.
Escalation -: Escalation means things getting worse or more intense. In this context, it means the conflict might become more serious.
