Points of growth on the world map: as an International Association of SEZs, BRICS will become a new center of economic cooperation
On May 15, on the sidelines of the International Economic Forum "Russia — the Islamic World: KazanForum–2025", a panel discussion "BRICS International SEZ Association: a platform for the development of multilateral economic cooperation between Russia and the OIC" was held.
The event brought together representatives of governments, business associations and management companies of special economic zones from the BRICS countries, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) states. The discussion was initiated by the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia, which has been promoting the idea of an institutional association of SEZs in the Global South for several years.
From initiative to institution
The platform for international cooperation between special economic zones (SEZs) is officially fixed in the Kazan Declaration, adopted at the end of the XVI BRICS Summit in 2024. At the same time, the BRICS International SEZ Association was announced as a new point of investment policy coordination and a tool for strengthening industrial cooperation in the context of the transformation of global supply chains.
According to Mikhail Labudin, director of the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia, the launch of the Association is not just a political declaration. This is an attempt to create a single ecosystem where the best practices of the BRICS and OIC member countries - from benefit regimes to investor support formats — will be systematized, scaled up and focused on specific localization projects.
"Today, special economic zones are becoming a new geo-economic infrastructure. Through them, the BRICS and OIC countries can build stable horizontal ties, including bypassing traditional financial and logistical barriers. We see the task of the Association as creating a space for cooperation and a new type of industrial dialogue," Labudin stressed.
Points of attraction
The session was attended by Roman Chekushov, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, Vladimir Ilyichev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning of Nigeria, Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Saleh, Deputy Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, representatives of Iran, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia and other countries.
There are five key blocks on the agenda.:
prospects for the participation of the OIC countries in the activities of the Association;
creation of joint SEZs in Russia and partner countries;
barriers and incentives for localization of production facilities under sanctions pressure;
development of common standards for investor support;
the role of SEZs in promoting the "green" and low-carbon agenda.
Petrochemicals, electronics, agroindustry, and transport and logistics hubs were identified as pilot areas of cooperation. The most active position on the creation of joint zones was taken by the delegations of Egypt and Iran, who proposed the launch of bilateral industrial parks with direct integration into trade routes, including bypassing the Suez Canal.
Institutional packaging: What's next
The Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia invited the participants of the discussion to jointly develop:
interactive catalog of SEZs of the BRICS and OIC countries;
standard forms of interstate agreements on cooperation based on zones;
certification system for ESG practices and “green” industries;
exchange of joint investment projects between SEZ residents;
expert track on standardization of preferential treatment.
It is assumed that the official agreement on the launch of the Association will be signed within the framework of SPIEF-2025. In addition, the annual BRICS SEZ forum is being discussed at one of the venues of the participating states.
A new type of economic diplomacy
The results of the session summarize an important trend: international SEZs are increasingly becoming an instrument of economic diplomacy, where industrial cooperation outstrips political fluctuations. In the context of geopolitical turbulence, it is precisely zones with stable infrastructure, flexible regimes and institutional support that can become platforms for new technological partnerships, from green industry to joint R&D chains.
Russia, as an active participant in the BRICS and the initiator of the Association, can take the key position of coordinator and integrator here, provided that the dialogue within the Association moves from the expert plane to the mode of specific projects.