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MOSCOW. – Russia planned to promote cooperation in three key areas – politics, economics, and culture – during its chairmanship of BRICS member countries, President Vladimir Putin said yesterday
As of January 1, Russia holds the chairmanship of BRICS, a bloc that has expanded to 10 members with the entry of Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.
Argentina was slated to become the sixth new member of the intergovernmental association, but on December 29, new Argentinian President Javier Milei officially notified the BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) that his country would decline the group’s invitation to join issued after its August 2023 summit in Johannesburg.
In his letter, Milei said that he did not consider his country’s participation in the BRICS group appropriate at this time.
Mr Putin noted that Moscow plans to promote cooperation in three key areas: politics, economics, and culture.
“In general, Russia will continue to promote all aspects of the BRICS partnership in three key areas: politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contacts.”
The Russian president’s priorities also include promoting cooperation in science, high technology, healthcare, environmental protection, culture, sports, youth exchanges, and civil society.
The Russian 2024 BRICS chairmanship, under the motto “Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security”, will act precisely in this manner and focus on positive and constructive cooperation with all countries concerned, according to the document published on the official Kremlin website.
About the new BRICS format, Mr Putin noted that his country would take all possible measures to facilitate the integration of the new members.
“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,.
He also said “working on the modalities of a new category of BRICS partner country” pointing, 30 countries have shown interest.”
Nearly 200 events are on the agenda for the Russian BRICS chairmanship. The BRICS Summit in Kazan (around 800 km east of Moscow) in October will be the culmination of Russia’s chairmanship.
The BRICS organisation was founded in June 2006, within the framework of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, with the participation of Brazil, Russia, India, and China ministers of economy. South Africa joined the bloc in 2011.
BRICS is attracting an ever increasing number of supporters and like-minded countries that share its underlying principles, namely, 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 pursuit of collective solutions to top challenges of our time.
“Naturally, we will focus on enhancing foreign policy coordination among the member countries and on jointly seeking effective responses to the challenges and threats to international and regional security and stability'” said Mr Putin.
“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.” – Finacialexpress.com
Online Reporter