The XVI BRICS Summit has ended in Kazan. How is the international order changing and what will the group’s cooperation look like in the future? New Eastern Outlook has gathered the key ideas expressed by the leaders of member states.
Russia
According to the Russian leader, considering the rapid pace of the development of BRICS economies, “it is necessary to intensify cooperation in such areas as technology, education, effective resource development, trade, logistics, finance, insurance”. The new BRICS investment platform, the launch of consultations vis-à-vis the WTO, partnership in carbon markets and the climate research platform can become tools for expanding cooperation.
In addition, Russia proposed to better the mechanism for mutual information exchange on the practices of online dispute resolution in electronic commerce, establish an arbitration investment centre and the BRICS tax secretariat, develop a convention on the settlement of investment disputes, establish direct links between special economic zones, open a BRICS grain exchange and expand cooperation in subsurface use. In the future, Vladimir Putin called it sensible to create a BRICS ‘reinsurance pool’ and platforms on precious metals and diamonds, fair competition, logistics and transport.
In addition to economic proposals, Russia has put forward a number of socio-humanitarian initiatives: the establishment of a BRICS research network on public health, the creation of a BRICS alliance in the sphere of artificial intelligence, the development of an interstate programme for the implementation of sports projects.
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on BRICS members to “participate in the alliance to fight hunger and poverty” and noted the unfairness of the situation when developed economies thrive at the expense of developing ones. BRICS, he said, “breaks this logic”. Da Silva highly appreciated the activities of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB): “This bank is involved in creating the infrastructure that will allow us to develop…It was created as a replacement for those banks that did not carry out their intentions”.
Now, according to him, it is important for BRICS “to create a financial system that will reduce the cost of having commercial relations between our countries”. Brazil will raise this issue during its presidency next year, as well as the topic of climate change: “There is no doubt that developed countries are historically responsible for the fact that everyone is suffering now. They promised to reduce emissions and did not comply. We have one planet and its future is in our hands”.
Egypt
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi noted at the summit that his country attaches great importance to “strengthening the multipolar system” and “ensuring financing for the development goals in developing countries via the creation of reliable mechanisms”. In light of this, Egypt appreciates the efforts of the NDB to “support development projects, especially in the fields of transport, clean energy, infrastructure, digital sector and urbanisation”.
Sisi confirmed Egypt’s readiness to “strengthen coordination with the countries of the association on international platforms and interaction on climate, food security, digitalisation, education and science”. Egypt is also interested in the use of national currencies in trade, cooperation with the BRICS Business Council and strengthening ties based on the group’s interbank cooperation mechanism.
India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed “efforts aimed at greater financial consolidation between the BRICS countries. Trading in national currencies and cross-border payments will aid our cooperation”. The Indian Prime Minister offered his colleagues the national experience of using a unified interface for payments, which India has already applied in bilateral relations with the UAE.
N. Modi called the NDB an opportunity to meet the development needs of the Global South. “By expanding the bank”, the Indian leader stressed, “we must guarantee financial stability for the long term and open access to markets”. In addition, a “focus on the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises” is important for multilateral cooperation.
In the future, India would like to create a digital platform for planning and implementing infrastructure projects in the group. It is also ready to share its experience in the field of healthcare digitalisation and invites BRICS to join its initiatives within the framework of the UN Climate Change Conference.
Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian singled out the desire “for a new world order, more just and more secure” as the most important goal of Iran in BRICS. “The period of unilateralism, when prosperity and development can only be realised on the path set by the West, is coming to an end”. Against this background, “the formation and expansion of BRICS has become an opportunity for the world community not to link its fate solely with the desires of Western powers…Today, this group has actually established its role as an alternative path”.
After expansion, BRICS, according to the Iranian leader, “represents a significant part of developing countries and new markets”. The main expectations of Iran are related to a decrease in the role of the dollar in the global economy, the creation of a “BRICS currency basket or a new non-dollar settlement mechanism” so that countries are no longer forced to “pay for the erroneous financial policy of the United States and corruption in their financial sector”.
According to M. Pezeshkian, BRICS is able to “present the unheard voices of the world community”. “We believe in the BRICS ideals of reforming global governance, promoting peace, security and inclusive economic growth, creating transparency and strengthening democracy in global financial institutions…to create alternative opportunities for the development and prosperity of the countries of the Global South”, he underlined.
China
Chinese President Xi Jinping noted the importance of “advancing the BRICS peace agenda in the name of protecting common security” now that “the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation”. In addition, the Chinese leader called for “promoting the BRICS innovation agenda”: deepening cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, jointly exploring deep-sea resources, interaction of special economic zones and building a “BRICS cooperation network in the field of digital ecosystems”.
China also considers the green agenda to be significant: “All BRICS countries should actively align themselves with the global trend of ‘green’ and low-carbon transformation”, expanding cooperation in the green industry, environmentally friendly energy and the development of mineral resources in an environmentally friendly way”.
At the global level, BRICS needs to “promote a fair agenda in the name of improving the global governance system”, the pace of reforms of which “does not correspond to the speed of changes in the alignment of international forces”. BRICS will be able to ensure “representation and voting rights of the countries of the Global South”. The group can also contribute to the reform of the international financial system and increase the influence of the NDB.
Finally, in the humanitarian field, China expects to “promote the cultural and humanitarian agenda of BRICS” and cooperation on the development of digital education.
UAE
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan believes that cooperation in BRICS is underway “not only to counter current challenges, but so as to draw up a roadmap for a sustainable economy of the future”. Flexibility, openness and innovation are important for the UAE in cooperation. “We support initiatives in the international arena to create platforms to promote dialogue on the green economy, sustainable development and investment”, Al Nahyan stressed.
Another priority of the UAE in BRICS is “opening up new markets”. The country is interested both in attracting investments and in attractive investment of its national capital.
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed noted that BRICS “inspires hope that we will achieve multilateralism in the world order and be able to solve the problems that the world is facing today…and work constructively in the interests of developing countries on the principles of equality”. Until now, “economic growth in developing countries has very often been confronted by an unfair global financial system”. BRICS can solve this problem, its “collective voice represents half of the world’s population and one third of global GDP”, allowing it to “become a transformative force on the path to a more just world order”.
In addition, for Ethiopia, the group is an “example of cooperation and solidarity” in solving global problems. A. Ahmed supported the proposals of colleagues on the development of high-tech areas of interaction, ties in industry, energy, tourism and stated the importance of the “alternative financing of infrastructure projects” represented by the NDB. Among other things, Ethiopia counts on BRICS support in ensuring Africa’s representation in the UN Security Council: “Here we are not just talking about representation, but about justice and equality. In this way, all countries will be able to contribute to global governance”.
South Africa
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the history of BRICS “a history of solidarity, mutual respect and mutual benefit. BRICS is an inclusive group of countries that intend to change the trajectory of the Global South. To do this, we must fully realise the potential of our economic partnership, ensure sustainable development for all – not just for individual groups of countries – and take decisive steps to build shared prosperity, equal for all”.
In terms of economic cooperation, the South African leader expressed interest in using national currencies in trade; for sustainable development, he expressed the need to consider climate change problems that seriously affect developing countries. In addition, it is important for South Africa to “solve the problems of small and medium-sized enterprises in BRICS” and “launch common programmes for export development, industrial cooperation and technology exchange”. In this regard, C. Ramaphosa called for WTO reform and “BRICS cooperation in the field of mineral resources”. In his opinion, the NDB plays an important role in the partnership: “The bank is necessary to achieve the common aspirations and goals of developing economies as a whole”. In the future, BRICS should become “an effective tool for ensuring global peace and progress at all levels in the economy and other spheres of life”.
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The Russian BRICS presidency aimed not only at strengthening the group’s authority in the world and deepening cooperation in all major areas, but also ensuring the integration of new members into the work of the association. It can be said with confidence that these tasks have been fulfilled. As Vladimir Putin noted, “the new participants saw and understood that it is possible to work and achieve results within BRICS. They felt that the most important thing in our association is mutual respect and the mandatory consideration of each other’s interests”.
As for the approaches of the states, the summit in Kazan showed the commonality of their expectations, views and goals. This is important, given that the group has expanded this year. Other countries, having received the status of partner states, will follow the lead of the new participants and join as well. The international order, like relations in a large family, requires not only mutual understanding, but also constant teamwork. A new stage of this work in BRICS has already begun.
Ksenia Muratshina, PhD in History, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”
