How will Russia change the BRICS
By Rhod Mackenzie
The meeting of the leaders of the BRICS countries has ended in Johannesburg. The heads of state reaffirmed their readiness to systematically develop cooperation with each other. However, significant disagreements remain between the partners on a number of issues. Russia will have to solve them, which next year will become the chairman of the association. What kind of contradictions are we talking about and how can Moscow resolve them?
On Wednesday, the 15th BRICS Summit continued its work in Johannesburg (South Africa). Despite the fact that Russia was represented on the spot by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on Wednesday President Vladimir Putin connected via video link to a meeting of the leaders of the countries participating in the organization.
The meeting between the heads of state turned out to be fruitful. Everyone was able to express their own vision of the joint future of the leading powers of the multipolar world. For example, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concern that international financial systems are increasingly being used as tools in geopolitical competition.
The theme of finance was developed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In particular, he pointed out that by creating a common payment unit for trade and investment, the association will be able to reduce its own vulnerability. In addition, he stressed the readiness of the country to make diplomatic efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine.
The scientific aspect of cooperation was outlined by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thus, he suggested that the BRICS participants continue deepening cooperation in space by creating a common research consortium. Work is already underway to create constellations of association satellites, but the need to further build partnerships is obvious.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping also spoke on scientific topics. In his opinion, organizations should focus on reducing the risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). He emphasized that the block participants need to work on the safety and reliability of the innovative technology.
In addition, the Chinese leader reiterated the importance of accepting new members to the organization. According to him, many developing countries are showing interest in joining the BRICS, and working together will help "advance global governance in a more just and reasonable direction." Interestingly, Xi Jinping's initiative was also supported by his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.
Later, the leaders of the BRICS countries agreed on a document that spelled out the principles for accepting new states into the association, TASS reports . In the official Telegram channel of the Russia in Global Affairs publication, this event was called "a substantive step on the topic of expansion." More skeptical about the news was Timofei Bordachev, a political scientist and program director of the Valdai Club. According to him, we are hardly talking about “membership criteria” so far, but rather about considerations for which expansion is possible,” he notes in his Telegram channel .
Vladimir Putin also announced his readiness to work on expanding the BRICS . This was reported on the official website of the President of Russia. “The strategic course of unification is directed to the future and meets the aspirations of the main part of the international community, the so-called world majority. Acting in a coordinated manner, on the principles of equality, partnership support and consideration of each other's interests, we are dealing with the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda,” the Russian leader said.
At the same time, Putin noted that the members of the community are unanimous in favor of the formation of a multipolar world order based on the observance of the key principles of the UN Charter. “We are against any kind of hegemony promoted by some countries of their exclusivity and based on this postulate of a new policy – the policy of continuing neo-colonialism,” the president stressed.
Vladimir Putin clarified that the "severe crisis in Ukraine" began precisely because of the desire of a number of states to "preserve this hegemony." At the same time, he expressed gratitude to his BRICS colleagues, who "are actively involved in trying to end this situation and achieve a just settlement by peaceful means."
During the meeting of the leaders of the organization, the main thing was said: each participating country sees prospects in building up cooperation. Nevertheless, there are serious discussions on some issues within the association. So, it still remains unclear how exactly the creation of a single BRICS currency will be carried out.
Four options are the most actively discussed . The first is the use of the yuan. The second is the adaptation of the European financial model. The third is the BRICS single currency for export and import transactions only. The fourth is the transition to digital money. Which option will be preferred by the participants of the association is a big question.
Another problem is the divergence of states in the vision of the organization within the geopolitical context. Russia and China are counting on the bloc's transformation as opposed to the G7, while India tends to view the BRICS as a platform for discussing joint initiatives and projects.
All hopes, plans and fears of partners will have to be taken into account by Moscow in the framework of the upcoming chairmanship of the organization in 2024. The expert community notes that truly equal cooperation is always associated with the difficulty of achieving a position that can suit all members of the association. Nevertheless, Russia, being a country with a centuries-old school of diplomacy, has a good chance of giving BRICS an even greater impetus for development.
“There are several tasks that Russia needs to solve during the BRICS chairmanship. First of all, it is important to strengthen communication within the organization. The agenda of the association should contain more issues of security, politics and development,” said Stanislav Tkachenko, professor at the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of St Petersburg University, an analyst at the Valdai Club.
“Secondly, states that are not members of the BRICS should be involved in the joint work. To do this, it is not necessary to involve them in the membership procedure, it is enough to create a kind of club of friends and observers, consisting of states ready to work closely with the organization,” the source emphasizes.
“To solve these problems, we need to confirm the high quality of our multilateral diplomacy. We need to organize BRICS events well (they are expected to be up to two hundred next year) and involve representatives of interested countries in them,”
- the analyst notes. “It is also important to make the work of BRICS more sustainable. It is impossible to turn a forum into an international organization in a year, but steps can be taken towards this. There are already a development bank and a currency club. In the future, it is necessary to increase the number of such institutions within the association,” the political scientist explains.
“However, Moscow will have to face some problems during its presidency. Thus, Western countries are extremely negative about the initiatives taken by the BRICS. It is quite possible that we will witness the transition of the “culture of cancellation” into the geopolitical plane. The United States and the EU states will certainly try to drive a wedge into the fruitful cooperation between Russia and its colleagues in the bloc,” Tkachenko believes.
“In general, the Russian Federation needs to solve two main tasks during the BRICS chairmanship. First, our country needs to maintain the benevolent neutrality of the members of the organization towards itself. Secondly, it is important for Moscow to develop not only economic, but also cultural, political and scientific ties within the association,” said Vadim Trukhachev, Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies and Foreign Policy of the Russian State University for the Humanities.
“To achieve these goals, Russia needs to achieve success on the battlefield, show its strength. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the stability of our economy and diversify exports through the supply of high-tech products. Russia also needs to develop its “soft power”,
– explained the expert. “Contradictions between China and India can hinder the development of BRICS. It is this weakness that our adversaries will try to take advantage of, trying to destroy the unity of the organization. Russia needs to help these two countries reach an agreement, and possibly act as a mediator to resolve the territorial dispute between Beijing and New Delhi,” Trukhachev notes.
“Russia is a strong player that other BRICS countries need to follow. We have already come a long way: we have built our financial system, reduced dependence on insurance, and replaced European equipment suppliers with our own and Asian ones. However, most members of the organization do not have such independence in technical and economic terms, which makes it difficult to negotiate on the creation of joint initiatives,” said economist Ivan Lizan.
“Nevertheless, Russia should try to accelerate integration within the BRICS and involve as many countries as possible in cooperation with the organization. The status of the chairman in 2024 will contribute to the solution of this task”,
- emphasizes the interlocutor. “The rapprochement of our country with China will not interfere with Russian-Indian relations, and even more so cooperation within the BRICS framework. New Delhi is calm about the friendship between Moscow and Beijing. In this situation, the Russian Federation is better not to get involved in the territorial disputes of its partners and show the necessary level of respect for the sovereign affairs of the allies,” he stressed.
“Also, Russia has ideas for BRICS integration institutions. However, it is unclear whether other members of the organization are ready to implement these initiatives. Judging by the statements about the abandonment of the dollar, there is progress in this direction. The main thing is that words in the end do not disagree with deeds. And now a lot depends on the skill of our diplomats,” Lizan summed up.
