dyton mupawaenda
Columbus Mabika-Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE stands ready to join the BRICS grouping which will offer an alternative conducive environment to trade freely with other nations, the Minister of Defence, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, said yesterday.
Addressing a meeting of BRICS and partner countries in Vladivostok, Russia, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said the grouping will continue advancing with vigour, a new economic world order and building an efficient mechanism that will develop ties between the world majority.
“The BRICS countries’ model is based on a unique relationship guided by the non-alignment principle, which has not only enabled breaking through ideological constraints, but has also facilitated economic growth based on mutual respect, common progress, and prosperity,” she said.
“Zimbabwe, like many of the other countries represented here, has strong conviction in BRICS’ potential to counterbalance Western powers’ dominance by challenging their unilateral decision-making and promoting a more balanced global landscape. Zimbabwe therefore stands ready to join this progressive group which will offer an alternative conducive environment to trade freely with other nations not worrying over who is watching or impeding us.”
The meeting is discussing the topics, “BRICS and partner countries as an efficient mechanism for developing ties between the countries of the world majority” and “Indivisible and equal security as key principles for building genuine and lasting international peace’’.
It is running under the theme, “World majority for the multipolar”.
Brazil, Russia, India, China founded BRICS in 2009 before South Africa joined a year later. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to join BRICS.
BRICS members are pushing for a new economic order, with a break from the Western aligned Bretton Woods financial order. Member countries of the grouping are major emerging economies that have joined forces to advance their interests and influence on the global stage.
The core objectives of BRICS are inclusive economic growth aimed at eradicating poverty, tackling unemployment and promoting social inclusion which guarantees high quality growth through innovative economic development.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said BRICS was steering the world away from a unipolar world and towards a multipolar world. As victims of a unipolar world, she said both the United Russia Party and ZANU PF welcome this unavoidable strategic alliance.
“It fully supports our joint plea for universal freedom for all nations and co-operation of like-minded nations to advance national development agendas.”
Turning to global peace and security issues, the Minister said Zimbabwe remained committed to ensuring that indivisible and equal security were the key principles in building a genuine and lasting international peace.
“Our commitment to international peace and security must therefore be influenced by the realisation that in an interconnected world, security threats, especially emerging ones, do not respect international boundaries. Consequently, insecurity in any one part of the globe is insecurity to all of us.”
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said emerging non-traditional security threats such as shifting geopolitics, rampant unilateralism, bullying, incessant and protracted armed conflicts, climate change induced disasters, deepening social and economic inequity, terrorism, disinformation and cyber insecurity had become daily common problems.
She said developing countries continued to play a central role in the United Nations peacekeeping missions which were the cornerstone of international efforts to promote peace and security as they illustrated multilateralism and global solidarity.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Africa was grateful for the assistance from the Russian Federation and other like-minded forces in areas of defence and security.
Online Reporter