( By Ingrida Nevenchannaya ) From September 15 to 17, 2025, the II BRICS Forum “Traditional Values” was held in Brazil, aimed at strengthening cooperation and mutual understanding among the member countries based on spiritual and moral traditions and values. The event took place in the National Congress building in Brazil’s capital, Brasília.
The Forum was attended by current parliamentarians, cultural figures, representatives of business sectors, and public organizations from Brazil, Russia, and other BRICS member countries, as well as partner countries and candidates for BRICS membership.
The theme of the forum, “Uniting Traditions, Strengthening Nations,” will serve as the foundation for continuing the dialogue between countries, which began in November 2024 at the first BRICS Forum, “Traditional Values.”
At that event in Moscow, parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, and cultural and public figures from Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Uganda, and Russia discussed common values and the spiritual traditions of their countries.
Twelve points have been included in the list of common values of the peoples of the BRICS countries. This list was presented at the forum of the association “Traditional Values,” which concluded its work in Brazil on Wednesday, September 17. The forum was attended by parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, cultural figures, and leaders of public organizations from all BRICS countries, as well as partner states and candidate countries for membership.
The list of values includes mercy, cultural sovereignty and equality of cultures, economic well-being and social justice, a multipolar world, health, development orientation, responsibility to future generations, humanism and pacifism, mutual respect, moderation and avoidance of fanaticism, solidarity and unity, and a culture of honesty.
Parliamentarians of the DRC and Peace Ambassador Ingrid Kim proposed including Congo in BRICS at a forum in Brazil. The delegation of parliamentarians from the Democratic Republic of Congo officially announced the country’s intention to join the BRICS alliance. The initiative was voiced during the BRICS international forum “Traditional Values,” held in Brasília from September 15 to 18, 2025.
The Congolese delegation included 11 members of parliament from Kinshasa, representing key committees of the national legislative body. Among them were MP Mishiki Bukhini Willy (Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, and Tourism), MP Muginireza Ndizee Jules (Finance Committee), MP Mudekereza Namegabe Olive, and MP Ichwama Litoka Elize. At the opening of the forum, Congolese parliamentarians, together with Peace Ambassador Ingrid Kim, proposed the accelerated accession of the DRC to the BRICS alliance.
This initiative reflects the growing interest of African countries in participating in alternative international associations. Also, Congolese parliamentarians see Russia as a future strong leader on whom they can rely.
If the D.R. Congo joins BRICS, its relationship with Norway would be fundamentally transformed. It would move from a donor-recipient dynamic to a more complex, but potentially much more fruitful, partnership of strategic equals.
Norway would be compelled to engage with the DRC not out of charity, but out of strategic necessity—for access to critical minerals, participation in mega-projects, and partnership on global issues like climate and regional stability. For the DRC, a deeper relationship with a technologically advanced, high-standards partner like Norway could provide a crucial counterbalance within BRICS and help ensure its development is both prosperous and sustainable.
