The meeting in the city of Kazan is the largest diplomatic forum in Russia since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022, triggering a barrage of Western sanctions and international condemnation.
Around 20 leaders, including from China, India, Turkey and Iran, are gathering in the central city of Kazan, where they will address topics such as developing a BRICS-led international payment system and the conflict in the Middle East.

Moscow sees the platform as an alternative to Western-led international organisations like the G7 – a position supported by key ally Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The process of forming a multipolar world order is underway, a dynamic and irreversible process,” Putin said at the official opening of the summit.
The BRICS organisation was “strengthening its authority in international affairs”, Putin said, as he called on its members to consider how they could address the most pressing issues on the global agenda, including “acute regional conflicts”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Russia on Wednesday to attend the summit, his first visit to the country for more than two years, which has drawn scorn from Ukraine.

Putin hailed Moscow’s close ties and “strategic partnerships” with its partners during talks on Tuesday with leaders including Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Xi, meanwhile, praised China’s “profound” ties with Russia in what he called a “chaotic” world.

Russia and China’s relations have “injected strong impetus into the development, revitalisation and modernisation of the two countries”, Xi said.

Putin said he saw relations between Beijing and China as a foundation of global “stability.”Ukraine conflict
Security in Kazan is tight around the summit, AFP journalists at the venue reported.

The surrounding Tatarstan region, around 1,000 kilometres from the Ukraine border, has previously been hit in drone attacks launched by Kyiv.

But Moscow is intent on not letting the conflict overshadow the summit, and is laying out a warm welcome for the arriving leaders.
Women wearing traditional Tatar costumes greeted the arriving delegations, who were offered sweet Tatar pastries made from flour and honey.

Starting in 2009 with four members – Brazil, Russia, India and China – BRICS has since expanded to include other emerging nations such as South Africa, Egypt and Iran.

Underpinning his vision of the group as a challenge to the West, Putin will hold separate talks with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday.He will also meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey, a NATO member, is casting itself as a possible mediator between Russia and Ukraine and strives for warm relations with Moscow.

Guterres will hold talks with Putin on Thursday, where the pair will discuss the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin said.Kyiv has railed against UN chief Guterres’ trip.

“The UN Secretary General declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin,” its foreign ministry said in a post on X.

The UN chief’s spokesperson said the trip was part of his regular attendance at “organisations with large numbers of important member states” and said it offered a chance to “reaffirm his well known positions” on the Ukraine conflict “and the conditions for just peace”.
Modi calls for peace
Modi, who is also casting himself as a possible peacemaker, called for a quick end to the conflict during talks with Putin on Tuesday.

“We have been in constant touch over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Modi told Putin after the two shook hands and embraced.

“We believe that disputes should only be resolved peacefully. We totally support efforts to quickly restore peace and stability,” the Indian leader added.

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Based in Thiruvananthapuram, Chempaka Kindergarten was founded in 1984 by Vernon and Daphne Gomez with the objective of developing a holistic approach to pre-school education. With 11 branches in Thiruvananthapuram, Chempaka has grown to become a reputed quality education provider. Proven highly successful with numerous little preschoolers over the years, the ‘Chempaka Way’ has now been extended to include all levels of schooling.

In 2019, the group was acquired by UAE-based Athena Education which found it more in line with its own philosophy of educating the young generation. What sets the schools apart is its stress-free learning pedagogy or as they call it The Chempaka Way.

L’école Chempaka “Silver Rocks”, L’ècole Chempaka “Serene Valley,” ICSE curriculum Schools and L’ècole Chempaka International, a Cambridge Pathway School are the schools run by the society. With wide recognition from higher educational institutions in India and across the world, the Cambridge IGCSE and AS & A Level Courses offer pupils from the Chempaka a wide range of opportunities.

A new kindergarten was opened at Venjaramodu near Thiruvananthapuram recently, making it the 11the kindergarten of the group. A new campus of L’école Chempakan International was inaugurated at Jawahar Nagar A-Street in Thiruvananthapuram by Ms. Sheeja, Director of L’école Chempaka Society for Educare, on January 14, 2021.

L’ecole Chempaka is a premier higher secondary educational institution based at Edavacode, Sreekariyam, Thiruvanthapuram and L’école Chempaka Serene Valley, Kallayam, opened on June 1 2015. A branch of L’ecole Chempaka, Serene Valley, Kallayam for Grades I and II only (for the academic year 2020-21) has been opened at Udarasirmony Road, Vellayambalam offering a choice of location to children of Grades I and II. With wide recognition from higher educational institutions in India and across the world, the Cambridge IGCSE and AS & A Level Courses offer our students a wide range of opportunities.

The Cambridge IGCSE programme is offered in Grades VIII – X and AS & A Level Courses in grades XI-XII.

For the past five years Chemapka has also started IGCSE and A Levels. The school has good results and their students are placed in best foreign universities for their education.

Based in Dubai, Athena Education is a dynamic education group dedicated to delivering quality learning for all students. The company is committed to developing students as outstanding, independent learners both online and in the classroom. It aims to ensure that all learners become self-confident, are secure and achieve at the highest level they can.
V.N.P. Raj, a banker-turned-educationalist, is the founder and Managing Director of Athena Education. Mr. Raj believes that, “Learning is to liberate oneself from the fear of the self. Knowledge without confidence is like a filled balloon with a hole. What mankind needs is the confidence to observe, think and execute what he or she has learned and experienced.”

The company’s vision is to enable all students to develop strong literacy, academic, innovation and social skills which enable them to become self-confident and significant contributors to the local and global communities, who have full confidence in their abilities.

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