The "center of gravity" in the world has moved towards BRICS, which is now at the vanguard of global economy, demography and culture, John Shipton, an Australian activist and the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said in an interview with Sputnik.
“It was great seeing the skill with which Russia and China and India, each having very distinct and ancient cultures, temporized bringing those cultures together to form the BRICS, an international non-western power bloc. So, in my feeling, the center of gravity in the world has moved towards the demographic, economic and cultural centers of the world,” Shipton said.
Last week, Shipton attended the BRICS Summit in Russia. The activist said that he liked his trip to Kazan and that his brief insight into the culture of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan was “surprisingly good and pleasant.”
BRICS is an international association created in 2006. Russia assumed the rotating presidency of the bloc on January 1, 2024. The year began with the accession of new members to the association. In addition to Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa, it now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, according to the website of the Russian 2024 BRICS Chairmanship.