What challenges do groups in the Global South face on their path to creating a more representative and equitable international order? Read the TV BRICS feature.
BRICS will continue to actively develop interaction with organisations and associations. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2024 at a meeting of BRICS Plus foreign ministers. According to experts, it is precisely this kind of cooperation that helps consolidate the efforts of the Global South countries in building a multipolar world and develops dialogue between partner organisations and economic cooperation. Most importantly, cooperation at the level of groups and alliances encourages countries to develop common approaches to shared challenges while strengthening the role of the international structures that unite them.
However, this type of partnership is not without its pitfalls. These include differing national interests and even a lack of mutual trust, which is essential for the creation of, for example, a single currency or a single payment system. Will the BRICS and its partners manage to strike a balance between defending their own interests and achieving common goals?
BRICS, SCO, African Union: objectives and synergies
BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the African Union and other structures such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are organisations and structures of the global South. They are united not only by common economic and political interests, but also by what is known as overlapping membership. This is a situation where states that are members of one association are also part of other regional groupings. For example, four BRICS countries – India, Iran, China and Russia – are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
BRICS members South Africa, Ethiopia and Egypt are also members of the African Union. ASEAN members include Indonesia and BRICS partner countries Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Russia and BRICS partners such as Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are members of the CIS. As a result of numerous overlaps in membership and interests, a dialogue between partner organisations is taking shape. In an exclusive interview with TV BRICS, global politics expert and professor at the Academy of Geopolitical Problems Anatoly Otyrba points out that today, BRICS, the SCO and the African Union form interconnected contours of interaction within the global financial system.
„BRICS functions as a multilateral negotiating platform [...]. The SCO serves as the strategic core of Eurasian stability, relying on energy, security and infrastructure complementarity,“ explains Anatoly Otyrba. On the one hand, this allows for equal participation and the building of truly multipolar partnerships, but on the other hand, it weakens such alliances. After all, one way or another, countries that are members of associations and groups must face economic and political challenges independently.
„The SCO is already developing barter and digital settlements outside SWIFT; BRICS prefers a phased transition through the R5+ basket and strengthening the role of national currencies [...]; The African Union is seeking not only a new currency, but also a mechanism for decolonising monetary policy – up to and including the creation of the afra, supported by continental resources and digital infrastructure,“ believes Anatoly Otyrba. Against the backdrop of progress towards the common broad goal of strengthening a multipolar world, the BRICS countries, the SCO and the African Union are also seeking to develop economic cooperation in the current reality. Most often, however, this cooperation is built not at the level of rather heterogeneous structures, but through interaction between member states.
Economic cooperation between BRICS and SCO
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded in 2001. Initially, its main goal was to ensure peace, security and stability in the region. Over time, however, the SCO has moved towards active cooperation in the development of transport and logistics infrastructure, the interbank sphere and the economy. In this context, experts particularly highlight the recent decision to establish an SCO development bank. This was announced in early September 2025 at a summit in Tianjin, China.
Some global media outlets have described this event as one of the most significant geo-economic events of the decade. The reason is that the SCO Development Bank is intended not only to finance infrastructure projects in Asia, but also to create an alternative payment system – exactly the kind of system that is also envisaged within the BRICS framework. The initiative essentially reflects the aspirations of developing countries for financial sovereignty, albeit only at the regional level for the time being.
„It is expected that efforts will be made in this regard to create and integrate national payment systems – primarily those of Russia, China and India. It is also expected that a platform linked to clearing and settlement will be created,“ said Professor, Chief Researcher at the Institute for International Economic Relations Research at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, RAS expert and RANS BRICS academician, in an exclusive interview with TV BRICS.
According to experts, transferring even 30–40 per cent of mutual trade to this platform would correspond to USD 700–800 billion. This would enable participating countries to save billions in bank commissions. If the plan is successfully implemented, the world will witness the emergence of a truly multipolar financial system, the principles of which could later be extended to the BRICS countries or even the entire global South. As for direct economic cooperation between the BRICS and the SCO, they currently lack common institutions such as banks, funds or trade agreements.
„Interaction is limited to dialogue. Forums and working groups discuss infrastructure corridors, the digital economy and the coordination of positions in international organisations. Actual economic projects are implemented primarily through bilateral ties between member states, rather than through institutional cooperation between BRICS and SCO,“ explains Anatoliy Otyrba.
BRICS and the African Union
The African Union (AU) is one of the continent's longest-standing associations. Its predecessor was the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), founded in 1963. For a long time, Africa remained more of an object than a subject of international relations. The OAU and later the AU succeeded in transforming the structure into an effective international organisation capable of developing a unified pan-African agenda. As a result, African countries present a united front in international institutions.
The connecting links between BRICS and the African Union are Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa. Other African countries – Uganda and Nigeria – are partners of the group. This points to the growing role of the African continent in the grouping. In addition, since South Africa joined BRICS in 2011, the country has consistently integrated pan-African interests into the platform's activities, thereby strengthening Africa's voice on the international stage.
Given that the BRICS format offers participation not only in annual summits, but also in more than 60 intra-group institutions, business communities and centres of expertise, the AU and the group have the opportunity to engage in dialogue in all key areas. More than 200 annual events are open to cooperation. Such cooperation is highly mutually beneficial and promising. „The BRICS partnership with the African Union is strategically important,“ says Anatoly Otyrba. „It extends the economic influence of the group to a dynamically developing continent, opens up access to natural resources and new markets, and strengthens the position of the global South in reforming the global financial system.“ In the future, this may result in joint infrastructure projects.
Probability of AU joining BRICS
Experts are also considering a scenario in which the African Union becomes a member of BRICS, despite significant differences between the two structures. BRICS is a platform-type grouping, while the AU is a formal international organisation representing the interests of countries from a single continent. The organisation recently became a full member of the G20, and expanded participation in BRICS could give the AU greater influence in G20 actions. The second scenario involves the independent accession of African countries. In this case, the AU could become a platform for expressing the interests of small and medium-sized states within BRICS. According to analysts, Nigeria's accession to BRICS as a partner country has significantly increased the likelihood of the second scenario.
New Development Bank and African Union
Thanks to BRICS participation, South Africa received a loan of approximately USD 417.2 million from the New Development Bank in 2025. The funds will be used to modernise four key national highways, strengthen connections between the country's regions and increase economic resilience. A year earlier, the BRICS bank approved a USD 1 billion loan to South Africa for water supply projects. The funds were allocated as part of an urban infrastructure grant. In May 2025, the New Development Bank officially accepted Algeria as a member state. According to NDB President Dilma Rousseff, the country plays an important role not only in the economy of North Africa, but also globally. Ethiopia has also expressed hope for joining the BRICS Bank, as repeatedly stated by representatives of the BRICS member country. Experts interpret BRICS' active engagement with African Union countries through the NDB as a sign of confidence and a possible deepening and broadening of ties in the future.
EAEU, CIS and ASEAN
The EAEU, CIS and ASEAN do not have a full-fledged integration system between them; however, these three organisations are united by their interest in coordinating with BRICS, Professor Anatoly Otyrba of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems told TV BRICS. The EAEU is actively working on joint initiatives with BRICS in the areas of industry, transport corridor development, financial settlement in national currencies, digital service creation and technology transfer. The Eurasian Economic Union is thus organically integrating into the multipolar economic system forming on the basis of BRICS. Interaction between EAEU and BRICS countries shows year-on-year growth in trade and transport volumes, which will continue to increase with the development of multimodal corridors in Eurasia and the North-South corridor.
Representatives of the CSTO participate in BRICS summit events. According to experts, both structures share related values and views on the world order. Moreover, Russia is an important player in both BRICS and the CSTO, which facilitates the establishment of horizontal ties. „The SCO participates in dialogue with BRICS through the BRICS Plus format, with an emphasis on the convergence of fundamental principles: equality, mutual respect and the rejection of unilateral sanctions. For the CIS, cooperation with BRICS is an opportunity to strengthen its position in world affairs, based on shared Eurasian potential in the economy and transport,“ emphasises Anatoly Otyrba.
As for ASEAN, China, for example, believes that BRICS can play a key role in supporting the countries of this association. The grouping is capable of becoming a bridge for technology and investment. Joint research centres could reduce the costs of geological exploration and contribute to the development of agriculture and climate resilience. For example, Chinese companies could invest in the modernisation of transport and electric vehicle infrastructure in Indonesia, while Brazil could share its experience in bioenergy and the New Development Bank could provide financing for geothermal projects, wind power projects and smart grids in Southeast Asian countries.
The contours of a multipolar network of alliances
Experts view the further development of relations between BRICS and other alliances and the creation of a Global South network with cautious optimism. All these structures (SCO, AU, EAEU, CIS and ASEAN) share an interest in creating a more representative and fairer international order and expanding trade and economic cooperation. „The key drivers are the need for alternative payment mechanisms, the development of transport and logistics corridors, and cooperation in high-tech sectors. At the same time, the level of readiness for integration varies: BRICS and the SCO already have functioning formats for dialogue, while interaction with the AU and ASEAN remains episodic,“ says Anatoly Otyrba.
The differing interests of participants and the lack of uniform standards hinder the development of relations. In addition, the groups have different decision-making formats. According to experts, the success of the interaction will depend on the parties' ability to develop flexible formats for cooperation, minimise bureaucratic obstacles and focus on projects with a quick return on investment, such as the creation of joint digital platforms for trade and the development of settlement systems in national currencies.
„The EAEU can play a special role as a link between European and Asian partners, while the AU opens up access to African markets and resources. ASEAN, balancing between the major powers, can become a platform for dialogue between regional groups,“ concludes Anatoly Otyrba. Analysts also expect the emergence of joint pilot projects by the Global South group in the energy sector, as well as memoranda of understanding and cooperation.
Svetlana Khristoforova
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