The annual BRICS Summit has evolved into an important platform for Brazil， Russia， India， China and South Africa to enhance cooperation. The eighth summit， to be held this October in Goa， India， will focus on issues that include boosting the influence of BRICS nations； deepening joint action based on the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership adopted at last years summit in Ufa， Russia； increasing collaboration among BRICS states in innovation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges； and charting the course for economic and social development in BRICS countries and emerging economies.

Since the first summit in 2009 in Yekaterinburg， Russia， the five BRICS members have reached a consensus on a wide variety of issues of common concern. The BRICS group has since become an important player in international relations and has contributed to improvements in the international system.

The BRICS states share common ground on a number of major international and regional issues such as the reform of the UN， the global economy， the Palestinian issue， the Iranian nuclear issue and the precarious situation in Afghanistan and Ukraine. They have also closely collaborated in the BRICS New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank， thereby laying a solid foundation for a stronger partnership.

In a multi-polar world powered by economic growth， BRICS states are championing multilateralism by forming a community of common interests. Questioning the validity of such a community is unnecessary because it can benefit BRICS member states and their peoples. What the BRICS nations urgently need is closer cooperation.

During an informal meeting of BRICS leaders held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou in September， President Xi Jinping called on the five nations to forge a powerful synergy with complementary advantages and strengthened interconnection. He also suggested they jointly innovate growth patterns， improve global governance， safeguard international fairness and justice， and advance international cooperation in sustainable development.

Currently， the global economy is experiencing a sluggish recovery， as growth engines are shifting. Although the international landscape remains stable overall for BRICS nations， problems persist. For instance， economic growth in Brazil and Russia faces difficulties， protectionism by major global economies is resurgent， and external forces interfere in the domestic affairs of BRICS states. Under such circumstances， the international community highly anticipates the Goa Summits outcomes.

It is hoped that BRICS members can weather the storm and create a model of cooperation featuring peace， growth， reform and cultural diversity in order to bring about more significant development.