A worker puts up a poster for the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug 17, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

MOSCOW - The BRICS countries are not competing with anyone and support the formation of a new multipolar world order, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the BRICS countries are all proponents of the emerging multipolar world, adding that this trend is being opposed by certain countries

"BRICS is not competing against anyone and does not seek to act as a counterweight to anyone," the president said during his virtual speech at the BRICS Plus/Outreach format meeting.

He said that the BRICS countries are all proponents of the emerging multipolar world, adding that this trend is being opposed by certain countries.

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The multipolar world order has its opponents, who are "seeking to stall this process" and contain new centers of power, said Putin.

"The countries of the so-called Golden Billion have gone to great lengths to preserve the unipolar world ... it suits them, and they are the ones who benefit from it," he said.

The Russian leader described this as a "manifestation of colonialism," adding that these countries "hide behind the noble slogan of democracy and human rights" while exploiting the resources of developing countries.

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The BRICS nations oppose such practices, and have built their cooperation on principles of honesty, equality and mutual respect, Putin noted.