CAN BRICKS BRING A SEA CHANGE IN GLOBAL POLITICS? Courtesy: PIB Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a three-day annual summit of the BRICKS group, an alliance of emerging economies in the southwestern Russian city of Kazan from October 22-24. Kazan is also called the third capital of Russia due to its beautiful Kremlin and mosque, and it is a major tourist attraction. This alliance aims to challenge the economic and political monopoly of the West and to disillusion with Western-led institutions of global governance in the matter of economy. This annual summit was attended by more than 20 world leaders including India, China, and Iran. This time, US partners like Egypt also joined. NATO ally Turkey is also in the race to join BRICS. Others attending the event included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Indonesia, and Mexico. BR