BRICS is not a counterweight to the West, but an alternative development model, attracting African nations, Professor of Security and International Relations at Nkumba University in Uganda Solomon Muchwa Asiimwex told Sputnik Africa, commenting on President Putin's statements at his annual press conference.
"BRICS may not be really explicitly a tool to counter the West, but its growing appeal, particularly among African nations, may lie in its principles of non-alignment, economic collaboration, and emphasis on a multipolar world," he said.
BRICS emphasizes inclusive development for member countries, which is equitable partnerships. Unlike traditional Western models often tied to stringent conditionalities like democracy and human rights issues, BRICS offers alternatives that prioritize sovereignty and mutual benefit, the speaker explained, why many African countries are interested in partnerships with the bloc.
"They are also not interfering so much in the internal governance issues of countries like the West would do," the speaker pointed out.
For countries in the Global South, BRICS provides a platform to collaborate on trade infrastructure and technology, which helps bypass Western-dominated institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, according to the expert.
"The New Development Bank [established by BRICS] offers the funding for infrastructure and sustainable development projects without all the political strings that are often given or reinforced by the Western loans, making it attractive to countries seeking alternatives to the Western financing," Asiimwex noted.
With BRICS's "non-aligned stance," its member states and partners can engage with various global powers without choosing sides in the East-West tensions, he concluded.