Focus on global development & security
-: R Muthu Kumar :-
Following the historic expansion of BRICS, the multilateral forum heceforth will not limit its ambitions to economic agenda, but rather seek to leverage the collective economic weight to pursue a wider political ambition. In the past, the progress of emerging and developing countries were constantly hindered by a Western centric economic and political order, the BRICS have engaged in a number of actions to rebalance and counteract the existing global order alongside its institutions.
The baton of the BRICS chairmanship was passed on to Russia on January 1 and Russia has planned more than 200 BRICS events, and Moscow expects that representatives of Egypt will take an active part in them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the motto is “Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security”. Putin has said that the next BRICS summit in 2024 under Russia’s presidency in Kazan will be dedicated to establish a fair world order.
Putin said the summit will influence the current global situation to move in the right direction.
“Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joined BRICS as new full members which is a strong indication of the growing authority of the association and its role in international affairs,” Putin said.
From an economic perspective the new membership will generate an additional $2.6 trillion in GDP terms representing an overall BRICS economy of $28.5 trillion and 28.1% of global output. Yet, while a significant economic grouping, by comparison G7 countries continue to dominate global output, accounting for 43.2% of global GDP.
In a statement on the start of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship, Putin said in the statement published on the Kremlin website that the Russian 2024 BRICS chairmanship will “focus on positive and constructive cooperation with all countries concerned”.
Criticising the West for demanding a so-called rules-based world order, he said the so-called rules-based world order does not actually exist because the rules change every day depending on the political agenda and the interests and whims of those promoting the prevailing narrative.
In general, Russia will continue to promote all aspects of the BRICS partnership in three key areas, including politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contacts, Putin said.
Putin stated that Russia’s priorities include promoting cooperation in science, high technology, healthcare, environmental protection, culture, sports, youth exchanges, and civil society.
The Russian President said BRICS is attracting an ever-increasing number of supporters and like-minded countries that share its underlying principles.
These principles include “sovereign equality, respect for the chosen path of development, mutual consideration of interests, openness, consensus, the aspiration to form a multipolar international order and a fair global financial and trade system, and the pursuit of collective solutions to the top challenges of our time”.
“We will spare no effort to ensure that, while preserving traditions and being guided by the experience gained by the association in years past, we facilitate the harmonious integration of new participants in all formats of its activities,” Putin said.
Putin further stressed that Russia will work on the modalities of a new category of BRICS partner countries. “Of course, we will consider the degree to which many other countries, about 30 of them, are prepared to join the BRICS multidimensional agenda in one form or another. To this end, we will start working on the modalities of a new category of BRICS partner countries,” he said.
Putin said Russia will focus on enhancing foreign policy coordination among the member countries. The country will also aim at jointly seeking effective responses to the challenges and threats to international and regional security and stability.
“We will contribute to the practical implementation of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025 and the Action Plan for BRICS Innovation Cooperation 2021-2024 for ensuring energy and food security, enhancing the role of BRICS in the international monetary system, expanding interbank cooperation and expanding the use of national currencies in mutual trade,” he added.
According to reports, over 200 events of different levels and types will be held in many Russian cities as part of the chairmanship.
“We encourage representatives of all countries interested in cooperating with our organisation to take part in them. The BRICS Summit in Kazan in October will be the culmination of our chairmanship,” he stated.
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