From Johannesburg, he closed the first day of the fifteenth summit of the bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, where the representatives of these emerging economies highlighted the progress of the organization, especially the actions of the New Bank for Development. In addition, the leaders of the countries expressed their approval to begin materializing the reception of new members in the association.
On the first day of the three meetings that will last, the host president, Cyril Ramaphosa, highlighted the “changes” that the members of the group have undergone since it was created in 2009, which he affirms “have transformed the global economy.”
The African president also added that the BRICS, which represent a quarter of the world economy and 40% of the global population, not only exist to “strengthen relations between governments”, but also to strengthen ties between the societies of the States. member.
Vladimir Putin virtually attended the summit, since he decided not to travel to Johannesburg due to the uncertainty caused by the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against him, which, although not valid within Russian territory, is valid in South Africa , for being a member of the Court, for which the local authorities would have the obligation to apprehend the Russian president.
Even so, the head of the Kremlin used the platform of the meeting to assert that the emerging block works in favor of the “global majority”, in addition to vocalizing the need for the BRICS to ‘de-dollarize’ the exchange between members, a process that for the president, is “inevitable”.
“We cooperate on the basis of the principles of equality, support for the association and respect for the interests of others and this is the essence of the strategic course of our future-oriented association, a course that meets the aspirations of the main part of the world community, the so-called global majority,” Putin said in a pre-recorded video that was released at the summit.
Ramaphosa’s physical presence was joined by the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva; the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi and the minister of Commerce of China, Wang Wentao, who in turn replaced the president, Xi Jinping, who had to be absent from the event due to situations that were not disclosed.
Lula da Silva: “We don’t want an exclusive club”
Another topic on the agenda for the first day of the summit was the expansion of the bloc, which already has more than 40 nations that have shown interest in being part of the BRICS.
Brazil and China are two of the most active governments in this area, affirming that the entry of new States to the association would “grow” the relevance of the organization in the international arena, in addition to the fact that Beijing has already laid the foundations for a format of memberships for interested nations.
“We will expand a BRICS-plus model, actively advance membership expansion, deepen solidarity and cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries,” said Wang Wentao, representing the Chinese president, who is reported to have written the message. for the ceremony this August 22.
Argentina, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia are some of the countries that have formally or informally expressed their desire to belong to the BRICS.
In addition, the Brazilian president also took the time to criticize the “suffocating” loans from the International Monetary Fund, appealing to the nations of the global south to approach the New Development Bank, an organization born of the BRICS and which he assures seeks to offer better financial conditions to countries that need it.
The president of the only American country in the block also proposed the creation of a common currency among the members, which, although it would not represent national currencies, would be used for commercial agreements, in an effort to depend less and less on dollars to make economic deals. with other countries. An idea that has earned the explicit support of China.
“At this moment, changes in the world, in our time and in history are taking place like never before, bringing human society to a critical crossroads (…) The course of history will be marked by the decisions we make” Wang said, reading the statement written by the leader of the Chinese Communist Party.
Alternative to the West?
The alliance of the largest emerging economies on the planet has seduced multiple governments, who want to be able to form part of the bloc in the face of the failure of Western institutions to lead these States to ‘development’, which are now further than ever from fulfilling it.
However, Lula da Silva stressed that the objective of the BRICS is not to antagonize Western institutions, but to promote an initiative so that countries historically affected by the model imposed at the international level can also organize themselves.
“We do not want to be the counterpoint of the G7, the G20 or the United States (…) We just want to organize ourselves,” said the Brazilian president in his speech at the table, where he also added that he wants to see his neighbor Argentina as part of the BRICS, since that the organization’s goal is to be a “multilateral institution, not an exclusive club.”
From Washington, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reacted to media questions about the BRICS summit, stating that he does not see the members of the bloc becoming geopolitical rivals of the United States, adding that they it deals with a “diverse collection of countries with differences of opinion on critical issues.”
The summit of the member countries of the block will continue until August 24 in the South African capital, where the participation of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutérres, and the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, are also expected.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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