Russia
Source: tass.com


Sergey Lavrov and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are expected to pay special attention to enhancing cooperation in various spheres and boosting dialogue within the framework of multilateral formats

MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will meet in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, as well as security in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Jaishankar arrived in Russia on a five-day visit on Monday. The ministers maintain close contacts and traditionally address a wide range of international and bilateral issues during their talks. Earlier, they met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi and the East Asia Summit in September.

This time, the sides are expected to pay special attention to enhancing cooperation in various spheres and boosting dialogue within the framework of multilateral formats, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Group of Twenty (G20) and BRICS.

Jaishankar's working schedule also includes a visit to Russia's second largest city of St. Petersburg and a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov.

Crisis settlement

During their talks, the foreign ministers will hold a detailed exchange of opinions and synchronize watches on the issues of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis settlement. Russia consistently advocates a two-state solution to the conflict, calls for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and condemns terrorism in all its manifestations.

The Indian side also supports the resumption of direct negotiations on the issue of creating a "sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within safe and internationally recognized borders."

Apart from the Middle East issues, the ministers are also expected to address the current crisis around Ukraine. They may also discuss the situation in Afghanistan and cooperation on the issue in corresponding multilateral formats.

Trade and national currencies

Despite the West's anti-Russian sanctions, Russia and India actively develop their trade and economic relations, which, according to experts from the two countries, have a colossal potential.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said India and China had received the signal about the need to reduce dependence from the current system of the global economy and to gradually reduce the share of the US dollar. Against this backdrop, the number of settlements in national currencies is growing rapidly, and Russia's trade turnover with these states is on the rise.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov may focus on the effort to boost the use of national currencies in bilateral settlments during the meeting with his Indian counterpart. He may also raise the issue of building sustainable transport and logistical corridors, as well as establishing reliable banking and financial ties. Besides, he is expected to raise the subject of cooperation in high-tech industries, such as space and nuclear power, and of joint projects to develop hydrocarbon deposits in Russia's Arctic shelf and Far East.

Cooperation within BRICS

The priorities of Russia's presidency and other matters of cooperation are expected to be raised during the meeting between Lavrov and Jaishankar.

Moscow and New Delhi have repeatedly declared their commitment to the multipolar world order, viewing it as an unalienable factor contributing to balance in the present-day global system. In this regard, the two ministers are expected to address ways of assisting countries of the Global South, who are defending their political and economic sovereignty. The influence of the actively expanding BRICS group of nations is growing, and cooperation within this format is becoming more and more important for Russia, India and other member countries.

Russia will assume the rotating presidency of BRICS in 2024, and plans to organize more than 200 events under its auspices. The motto of Russia's presidency would be "Strengthening Multilateralism for a Fair Global Development and Security." According to Lavrov, Russia plans to negotiate with its BRICS partners a wide range of top-level decisions before the October 2024 summit in its Volga Area city of Kazan.

Russia's presidency will also pay attention to the implementation of the BRICS economic partnership strategy until 2025 and a plan of action on innovation cooperation in 2021-2024. Apart from that, the focus will be made on efforts to increase BRICS' role in the international currency and financial system, on the development of interbank cooperation and more extensive use of national currencies in mutual settlements.

Russia
Source: tass.com



Rejection of BRICS is "optimization of using time" in the first instance for Argentinian authorities, Diana Mondino noted

BUENOS AIRES, December 30. /TASS/. The government of President Javier Milei was partly governed by ideological considerations when refusing to enter BRICS, Foreign Minister Diana Mondino said.

"It's kind of both but mainly the practical one," the minister said, answering a question of a LN+ television reporter whether the refusal to join this association is an ideological or a practical solution.

Rejection of BRICS is "optimization of using time" in the first instance for Argentinian authorities, Mondino noted. "If participating in all organization, then when there will be time to work," she added.

"Liberal democracies" are priority partners for the new administration of Argentina, Mondino noted. The US, European countries, Australia, Israel, Canada and New Zealand are among them, the minister said, not ruling out the opportunity of developing trade and economic relations with other countries. "We will trade with those that pay more. This is not the state to make this decision. Our task is to create conditions for trade," she added.


Argentina's President Javier Milei officially notified BRICS members that his country would not join the group, presidential administration spokesman Manuel Adorni said earlier. In his letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xii Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Argentinian leader wrote that he did not consider the country's participation in BRICS appropriate.

Germany
Source: jogh.org

Throughout history, economic growth and geostrategic influences have been intertwined with a collective awareness of the importance of improving the health of populations. We can note, among others, international health conferences during the 19th or the formation of international health organisations in the 20th century, as well as select initiatives such as the campaigns for eradicating malaria and smallpox, undertaken shortly before the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) [1–3].

It is in this spirit of bringing all people to the highest possible level of health that the WHO member countries, including several newly independent African ones, adopted the Alma Ata Declaration on primary health care in 1978 [4].

The Declaration makes health a human right and places it at the heart of social and economic development. It also emphasises the sovereign responsibility of governments for the health of their populations and underlines the importance of cooperation between all countries in a spirit of solidarity, with the goal to providing primary health care to their populations.

A little over four decades later, smallpox appears to have been eradicated. Nevertheless, malaria continues to decimate vulnerable populations in the Global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa [5], adding to the already growing burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases, accidents, respiratory diseases, and childhood pathologies, among others. This represents a considerable barrier to achieving sustainable human development.

In response, the WHO reiterated its call for a return to the Declaration of Alma Ata, as it represents a holistic and effective strategy for improving the health of populations and thus promoting sustainable human development [6–10].

Currently, we are facing worldwide, profound geostrategic and commercial transformations, as we have in past centuries. Countries of the Global South insist on sovereign development policies. Thus, the Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa (BRICS) partnership should consider using the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration care within its framework for sustainable development.

Unlike current campaigns or initiatives based on selective short-term and hierarchically implemented interventions without the active participation of the target populations, primary health care, as specified by the seven principles of the Alma Ata Declaration, represents a holistic approach based on equity. The practice of primary health care requires the active participation of the communities concerned and intersectoral collaboration between all stakeholders. To a certain extent, one could clinically think of an effective development economics strategy [11]. For example, the Millennium Development Goals can be considered as a form of implementation of the Alma Ata Declaration; however, it is necessary to emphasise its selective aspect. Comprehensive, rather than selective primary health care might be able to respond adequately to the relationship between health and socioeconomic development [12].

The 14th BRICS summit, held from 23 to 24 June 2022 in China, was marked by attention to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the participants concernedly noted that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted efforts in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and reversed years of progress in social and economic development, but also environmental protection [13]

These concerns intensified during the 15th summit held from 22 to 24 August 2023 in South Africa entitled "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism". Its participants called for reform of the international economic institutions regarding specificities of emerging markets and developing economies, which should reflect their roles in the world economy. The BRICS countries also stressed the importance of beneficial economic growth and an effective fight against poverty in the countries of the Global South [14,15].

We cannot eradicate poverty, promote health, and promote human development by implementing the same selective, hierarchical strategies without including the target populations.

Having regained their independence in the early 1960s, the so-called Third World countries also reclaimed autonomy in stabilising their economies. However, they began to again lose it in favour of draconian structural adjustment measures led by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank from the 1970s onwards [16]. These measures have been associated with intense pressures to further link these fragile economies to a dominant ultra-liberal economy.

The opponents of structural adjustment plans argue that high taxes, cuts in health and education, and the privatisation of key sectors of public life have contributed to increasing social inequalities and weakening the role of states in the process of human development [17–19]. It is in this spirit that UNESCO called for a global social adjustment in 1995 [16].

The BRICS Partnership for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism recognises the sovereignty of governments as key in achieving sustainable human development. Its members reiterated the importance of multilateral cooperation and inclusively called for all national and international actors to implement corresponding reforms, recognising the importance of implementing the SDGs in an integrated and holistic way.

Nowadays, the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration seems to be the most appropriate approach. However, we must also take up the challenge of government sovereignty – more precisely, how governments can re-organise themselves sovereignly within the framework of the BRICS Partnership for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.

For this, the implementation of the federal law on primary prevention and on the promotion of health in the Federal Republic of Germany [20–23] can be used as an example. This law to strength health promotion and prevention came into force in Germany on 25 July 2015. It is intended to strengthen prevention and health promotion in settings and to promote cooperation between stakeholders at the federal state levels. The National Prevention Conference plays a key role in this context, which includes the delivery an agreement on nationwide framework recommendations for health promotion and prevention and a report with compulsory keys results on the development of health promotion and prevention every four years.

In the frame of their Partnership for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism, countries of the Global South in general, and African countries in particular, could draw inspiration from this German model to sovereignly apply the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration.

In conclusion, just like the international health conferences or international organisations of past centuries, the BRICS can contribute effectively in the 21st century to the promotion of health and human development by considering the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration within the framework of the Partnerships for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.

[1] Funding: The research and the article publication was not funded.

[2] Authorship contributions: No other authors contributed to the manuscript.

[3] Disclosure of interest: The author completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form and disclose no relevant interests.


REFERENCES


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[2]Maurel C. Une histoire entre combat contre les maladies et lutte d'influences [A story between the fight against illness and struggles for influence]. 2020. Available: https://theconversation.com/loms-une-histoire-entre-combat-contre-les-maladies-et-luttes-dinfluence-134597. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[3]World Health Organization. Constitution of the World Health Organization. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1946. Available: http://apps.who.int/gb/bd/PDF/bd47/EN/constitution-en.pdf?ua=1. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[4]World Health Organization. Primary Health Care: Report of the International Conference on Primary Health Care. Geneva. World Health Organization; 1978. Available: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241800011. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[5]World Bank. The Global Burden of Disease: Main Findings for Sub-Saharan Africa. 2023. Available: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/global-burden-of-disease-findings-for-sub-saharan-africa. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[6]United Nations. Primary Health Care: Now More Than Ever. Available: https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/primary-health-care-now-more-ever. 2013. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[7]United Nations. World Health Report calls for return to primary health care approach. 2008. Available: https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2008-world-health-report-calls-for-return-to-primary-health-care-approach. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[8]World Health Organization. WHO called to return to the Declaration of Alma-Ata, International conference on primary health care. 2023. Available: https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/declaration-of-alma-ata. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[9]World Health Organization. Declaration of Astana, Global Conference on primary health care. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018. Available: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-HIS-SDS-2018.61.

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[11]Sachs JD. The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Times. New York: Penguin Press; 2005.

[12]L Magnussen, J Ehiri, and P Jolly. Global Challenges in Health Comprehensive versus Selective Primary Health Care: Lessons For global Health Policy. Health Aff (Milwood). 2004;23:167-76. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.23.3.167. [PMID:15160814]

[13]Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. XIV BRICS Summit Beijing Declaration. 2022. Available: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/202206/t20220623_10709037.html. Accessed: 11 November 2023.

[14]XV BRICS Summit Johannesburg II Declaration. BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism. 2023. Available: https://brics2023.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jhb-II-Declaration-24-August-2023-1.pdf. Accessed: 08.12.2023.

[15]BRICS. Summits Declarations. 2023. Available: https://brics2023.gov.za/2023/07/05/summit-declarations/. Accessed: 10 September 2023.

[16]United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Effects of structural adjustment programmes on education and training. 1995. Available: https://Unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000101342_fre. Accessed: 9. November 2023.

[17]T Forster, AE Kentikelenis, TH Stubbs, and LP King. Globalization and health equity: The impact of structural adjustment programs on developing countries. Soc Sci Med. 2020;267:112496. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112496. [PMID:31515082]

[18]M Thomson, A Kentikelenis, and T Stubbs. Structural adjustment programmes adversely affect vulnerable populations: a systematic-narrative review of their effect on Child and maternal health. Public Health Rev. 2017;38:13 DOI: 10.1186/s40985-017-0059-2. [PMID:29450085]

[19]F Heidhues and G Obare. Lessons from structural adjustment programmes and their effects in Africa. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture. 2011;1:55-64.

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[21]S Liedtke, S Gravemeyer, and GO Kamga Wambo. Prevention report or Germany's National Prevention Conference – Goals and possibilities of the initial 2019 report. J Health Monit. 2017;2:13 [PMID:37377533]

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United Kingdom
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Argentina's new President, Javier Milei, has withdrawn the country from its planned entry into the expanding Brics club of nations.

In a letter to the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Mr Milei said decisions taken by the preceding government had been revised.

The Brics countries are often seen as a counterweight to the Western-led world.

Argentina had been among a much-vaunted new tranche of six countries poised to join the grouping next month.

It would have been admitted to the Brics club on 1 January, alongside Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Its change of heart comes after Mr Milei, a populist right-wing outsider, won a surprise election victory in November with radical pledges to overhaul the South American nation's ailing economy.

He succeeded left-wing Peronist Alberto Fernández, whose views were more aligned with those of the bloc's existing members.

Mr Milei said in his letter that his government's foreign policy "differs in many ways from that of the previous government".

He added that although he did not consider it "appropriate" for Argentina to become a full Brics member, he was still committed to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly with the aim of increasing trade and investment flows.

Although the Brics alliance is often portrayed as promoting a more multipolar world, it is economically dominated by China, which accounts for more than 70% of the bloc's combined GDP.

Argentina's bid for membership under Mr Fernández had the support of Beijing, but Mr Milei has strongly criticised China.

On the campaign trail, he described the Chinese government as assassins and said he would not work with communists.

Argentina's changing attitudes highlight the delicacy of its economic and political position as it struggles to reverse decades of economic mismanagement.

It is battling soaring inflation, with prices rising by about 150% over the last year. It is also struggling with low cash reserves and high government debt, while 40% of the population is living below the poverty line.

Mr Milei's administration has already devalued the country's currency by more than 50% as his plans for economic shock therapy begin to take effect.

Externally, Brics members Brazil and China are Argentina's two biggest trading partners, but the US is not far behind, making it imperative to preserve good working relations with all three.

And as a man who has contemplated replacing the Argentine peso with the US dollar, Mr Milei shows signs of inclining more towards Washington than Beijing in future.

Switzerland
Source: www.thediplomaticaffairs.com

The BRICS expansion from 5 members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) to 11 members (BRICS + Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE) come January 1st has made headlines all over the world, with many analysts regarding it as the most important event of the year. Through the expansion of BRICS, China and Russia have increased their influence in the developing world and spread the model of 'non-interventionism'. The expansion process was precipitated by the sanctions imposed on Russia, which worried even the BRICS+ countries with good relations with the West. In addition, over 40 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Algeria, Bolivia, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum, according to the South African president (https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-brics-who-are-its-members-2023-08-21/). The interest in a BRICS membership was so high that some of the 22 countries that formally applied were shocked by their rejection. For example Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy and most populous country, wasn't invited to join despite South African efforts. The explanation is that Russia has great influence within BRICS: Putin rejected Nigeria's application, as Nigeria is a member of ECOWAS, an organization that is hostile to Russia's interests, especially regarding the coup in Niger. This analysis will explore the current developments in BRICS, as well as Russia's role as chair of the organization and potential changes it can implement next year as BRICS chair. While BRICS+ is generally known as a 'Global South' alliance, with its member states sharing the view that the West has too much control over the global economy, there are internal disputes within the group that Russia will have to manage. Most notable is the historic border dispute between India and China, escalated to and exemplified by the 'string of pearls' and 'necklace of diamonds' theories*, India's boycott of the first Belt and Road forum, India's ban of Chinese apps, as well as India's continued membership in the Quad, a diplomatic network committed to stopping China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, alongside Australia, Japan, and the US. This dispute was most recently emphasized in an internal BRICS discussion: while China and Russia have pushed a quick expansion of BRICS to strengthen their geopolitical influence, India has expressed concern about admitting many new members too quickly. Although the new members all maintain good relations with India, their addition due to China's lobbying worries India, as with the organization more than doubling India will now have a less valuable vote in an organization dominated by countries with closer ties with China. At the same time, India's bilateral relationship with the US has become stronger in recent times, with Modi engaging in a significant visit in the US this June and the US seeing India's partnership as a gateway to containing the growing BRICS threat. Still, India's collaboration with China within BRICS+ is still viable, viability that can be attributed to Russia's efforts, thus admitted by India: in a press conference in Moscow from a few days prior, India's Foreign Minister declared that the friendship between Russia and India is the only constant in international relations, and one that he does not see dissolving any time in the future. Even more important to note is that these declarations come at a time when the euroatlantic world is trying to pull India into a system of political and economic partnerships negotiated through the British PM Rishi Sunak, who is an English citizen of Indian descent and American schooling. Thus, the visibly cold relationship between China and India can be seen as a result of the informal alliance between the former British empire and its former Indian colony.

Another significant internal BRICS+ dispute is the one between Egypt and Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which, if built, would threaten the livelihood of the Egyptian people. Another tense relationship is the Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran triangle, countries that have been famously involved in a cold war in the Middle East for decades, but it is important to note that Saudi Arabia and Iran have already initiated the process normalizing relations. Yet, the first problem that BRICS+ will have to solve in 2024 is Argentina. Although it formally accepted to join, the country now has a new leadership under newly elected president Javier Milei, who repeatedly expressed his opposition to Argentina joining BRICS. The country has a vast quantity of national resources despite its unstable economy and would be an important ally to BRICS+. A few days ago, the country has declared that it could become a "less active" member of the group, meaning that Milei wants to pull back from Argentina's relationship with BRICS members Russia, China and Brazil (the latter two currently Argentina's biggest trading partners), and develop stronger ties with the US and Israel instead (https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/kremlin-notes-argentina-president-elect-mileis-comments-russia-hopes-good-ties-2023-11-20/). These declarations are seen by experts as mere diplomatic tricks preceding a reapproachment to BRICS+. Still, Milei is in a very difficult position, as while BRICS+ is actively pursuing dedollarization, Milei has declared that he shall do the opposite, reforming Argentina's economy through full deregulation and dollarisation of the Argentinian market. These radical reforms have already been met with mass protests from Argentinians, although not even three weeks have passed from Milei's takeover of the presidency, as annual inflation has exceeded 160% and the poverty level having surpassed 40% in 2023 (https://www.voanews.com/a/argentines-protest-milei-economic-reforms/7415017.html). Although members of Milei's party have been categorically negative at the idea of Argentina joining BRICS+, it is important to note that the Argentinian Congress needs to approve any foreign policy decision (such as reversing the BRICS adoration process), and La Libertad Avanza, Milei's political alliance, only holds a little over 10% of the parliamentary seats (https://buenosairesherald.com/politics/elections/argentina-2023-elections-what-congress-will-look-like-from-december-10). Thus, the question of Argentina remains unclear, to be resolved on the 1st of January.

On another note, although the BRICS+ leaders keep declaring that the BRICS system only has economic aims, one of the founding principles of BRICS was"the shared commitment to restructure the global political, economic, and financial architecture to be fair, balanced and representative, resting on the important pillars of multilateralism and international law", ie changing the world order from western hegemony to multipolarity. The West's dominance of international relations over the last centuries has been based on military dominance augmented by superior technology and economy, which is why most of the BRICS initiatives are focused on economy and finance: the establishment of the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA), the Silk Road Fund, the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which aim to support member countries facing payment difficulties and to raise additional liquidity for infrastructure development worldwide, including technological infrastructure, at a global scale, as well as the subsequent process of dedollarization take pressure off all of the individual economies within BRICS, easing the effect of sanctions or changes in the US economy, and thus enhancing economic autonomy. Russia is no longer a part of G7 (or G8 as it was called back then), which is seen as the most powerful state grouping in the world, and it is unlikely that it would want to join again, since BRICS+ has just overtaken the G7 not only in terms of population, but also in terms of GDP. BRICS+ has thus become the new multipolar center of power, showing the triumph of humanity over transhumanism through Russia's "order based on justice" policy that brings together countries that value traditional values as the foundation of their identities. In a news conference that lasted more than 4 hours, President Vladimir Putin criticized the West for demanding a so-called „rules-based world order" and said that the next BRICS+ summit under Russia's presidency in 2024 will be dedicated to establishing a „fair" world order, declaring that the so-called "rules-based world order" does not actually exist because the rules change every day depending on the political agenda and the interests of those promoting the prevailing narrative, and that the BRICS summit will demonstrate that there are enough powerful countries in the world who do not want to live by those unwritten rules imposed by the Americans based on their own interest, but rather by the rules enshrined in fundamental documents like the UN Charter. From an organizational point of view, Putin mentioned that Russia's work under its BRICS presidency will be dedicated to a „fair world order," with about 200 political, economic and social events in the works for 2024 (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/72994).

It is useful to mention that BRICS+ runs on a rotating chairmanship, with Brazil initially meant chair in 2024. But, because Brazil is already chairing the G20 this year, an arrangement extremely favorable to BRICS+ has emerged, with Russia taking over the chairmanship a year earlier, thus coordinating with Brazil who is chairing the G20, the parallel organization. It is obvious that this is a great geopolitical victory against the West, with China's quiet satisfaction palpable. In addition, it is important to note that Putin is finishing 2023, a year crucial to his position, in a cloud of glory, having completely invalidated Western expectations of his political isolation and Russian economic ruin as a result of sanctions! Putin managed to not only meet with almost every important non-Western leader in the past year, but also record a 5.5% economic growth (https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russias-q3-gdp-growth-confirmed-55-rosstat-2023-12-13/). In addition to the BRICS+ chairmanship, Russia shall also be chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 2024, an organization that it founded following the dissolution of the Soviet Union that encompasses all former Soviet states except for Ukraine, and recently, Moldova. In addition, to properly emphasize Russia's role on the world stage, it is important to note that in July 2024, Hungary, which is commonly seen as Russia's proxy in Europe, will also take over the rotating presidency of an important organization, namely the EU Council. We now have the full perspective of the big geopolitical games that Russia and its allies have in store for 2024 and, given the show of force that "Putin, Xi and Company" have made at the international political and economic level in 2023, it is to be expected that things will continue to flow in their favor.

To come back to BRICS+ and Russia, which can be seen as the founder of BRICS, having held the first ministerial meeting of BRIC countries in 2006 and subsequently hosted the bloc's first summit in 2009, demonstrating to the West that it has other important trading and political partners. While the last time that Russia held the BRICS presidency, in 2020, its objectives were vague, focused on general cooperation between BRICS countries, its goals today are more tangible. Firstly, note that on the 1st of January, Russia will take over the chairmanship of the newly extended BRICS+ under the theme "Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security". Secondly, note that in Putin's speech at the Johannesburg summit this summer (which he joined remotely due to the ICC arrest warrant on his name), Putin declared the establishment of a permanent BRICS+ transport commission that would develop global transport corridors during Russia's chairmanship, as well as expanding trade, interbank cooperation and the use of national currencies between BRICS+ countries. Putin's pragmatic approach comes as a direct response to the accusations that BRICS has been 'all talk, no action', so it is obvious that Russia will want to make some tangible efforts which bring palpable and successful results, especially at this time of increased global attention. I have researched some possible directions that Russia's actions will take, which I summarize below:

Predictable strategies of Russia's chairmanship Developing energy trade in a sustainable fashion. Considering that the BRICS+ countries now make up 43% of global crude oil production (more than OPEC), this would send a clear signal to the West that BRICS+ is willing to play by the rules that other international organizations have set in promoting an agenda that truly has global benefits. A full-scale conceptualization of the upcoming energy transition for non-western countries is to be expected, especially considering the BRICS Energy Research Platform launched at the initiative of Russia.

Implementing the optional study of Chinese and other BRICS+ languages in Russian schools as well as the promotion of the Russian language in the other BRICS+ countries as an alternative to the dominance of Western languages.

The launch of a new payment instrument to counter the SWIFT system and to allow member countries to pursue their aim of dedollarization. Instead of relying on gold reserves like the initial Bretton Woods dollarisation relied on, which favored Western economies, the BRICS+ countries could consider standardizing the system and backing it on natural reserves to ensure its stability.

As technology is one of the pillars of the West's dominance, BRICS+ countries could engage in the creation of joint R&D projects and research centers, as well as an overall exchange of technologies.

Continuing the process of transport interconnectedness and infrastructure for trade, such as the famous Chinese Belt and Road initiative.

Regarding education, Russia will most likely act on the need to create a BRICS+ university ranking not controlled by the West, as discussed in Johannesburg. In addition to this, BRICS+ could also develop joint study programs for students and academics within BRICS+ countries, strengthening the cultural cohesion between them.

Establishing a new and fair international legal framework to counter the sanctions imposed by the West (less probable in 2024, but certainly predictable in the future).

In addition to these strategies, there will certainly be other strategies in the works, strategies which cannot be publicly declared. Considering the military war in Ukraine, which is actually between the US and Russia, and the war between US and China, regarding Taiwan, it is predictable that the decisions that BRICS+ will take next year (at Russia's behest, but with China's "no limit" support) will challenge the US hegemony and create additional economic and financial difficulties for the Americans, who are already visibly facing a number of crises which will escalate in the difficult election year ahead. The collective West should thus be stable enough and prepared enough to counter all of these economic obstacles that Russia/China/BRICS+ will put in its way, something that it has not achieved in 2023, and I doubt that it will achieve in 2024.

The 'string of pearls' theory refers to the process that China is undertaking ofencircling India through building civilian maritime infrastructure along the Indian Ocean. In response, India is engaging in a 'necklace of diamonds' strategy, expanding its naval bases and establishing very strong relationships with all of China's neighbours.

By Daria Gusa

Russia
Source: brics-plus-analytics.org

Starting from January 1, 2024 the ranks of the BRICS grouping will be expanded to include 5 regional powers from the Global South. This is arguably the most important development in BRICS history in the past decade and something that is bound to exert a notable impact on the evolution of the global economy. While the focus thus far has been on the geopolitical aspects of the BRICS expansion trends, there may be important implications pertaining also to the economic domain. If the trends of BRICS expansion are to continue with BRICS also actively working to boost mutual trade and settlements in national currencies what are the groups of countries that will derive economic benefits from these developments?

Among the beneficiaries of BRICS expansion are the new members of the grouping's core as well as the future "partnership belt" that is to be endorsed by the BRICS in 2024. The benefits to the new BRICS core nations such as Ethiopia as well as Egypt may reside in a greater regional role in Africa in intermediating the cooperation impulses from BRICS to the region as well as to its key projects such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). There may also be benefits from measures targeted by the BRICS core to boost mutual trade and financial cooperation. The oil-exporting economies such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran may strengthen policy coordination with their OPEC+ partners from the BRICS core such as Russia and Brazil; there may also be the dividends from stronger international stature as regional powers and leading representatives of the developing world.

Among the potential members of the "partnership belt" are some of the largest developing economies in their respective regions that are still outside of the BRICS core – Algeria and Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa; Pakistan and Bangladesh in South Asia; Bolivia and Venezuela in South America; Kazakhstan and Belarus from the CIS region; Thailand and Indonesia from South-East Asia. It is yet to be decided what the "partnership modalities" are going to be for the above economies, but these may include greater scope for economic cooperation with the BRICS core via NDB and BRICS CRA as well as involvement in the various economic initiatives targeting greater financial, trade and investment cooperation.

Another possible track in the process of BRICS expansion will be the link-up between the regional integration blocs led by BRICS economies. In this sphere, we expect Africa and the African Continental FTA (AfCFTA) to be the main beneficiary of the BRICS expansion and the creation of an "integration of integrations" platform for the Global South. This is due to the fact that there is significant scope for the BRICS core economies and their respective regional integration blocs to prioritize greater trade liberalization vis-à-vis Africa, particularly in the agricultural sector. Other beneficiaries may include BRICS members and partners that are launching free-trade accords with BRICS-led regional integration blocs. We note that BRICS regional blocs are in fact starting to forge closer ties with new BRICS core members – at the end of 2023 Iran signed a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

One of the more pragmatic tracks of BRICS expansion is the widening in the ranks of the members of the New Development Bank (NDB). In recent years, a number of new members of NBD included developing economies such as Bangladesh and Uruguay, that have not yet gained the status of BRICS core members. The benefits obtained by the new members of NDB include access to financing as well as a greater role in their respective regions and regional integration arrangements. With the rise in the scope of NDB operations, some of the potential beneficiaries of its expansion are likely to include the BRICS regional neighbors and "in-between economies" that would benefit from connectivity projects and other positive spillovers from BRICS and NDB regional activities. Among the in-between economies that benefit from greater connectivity and trade turnover within the BRICS core may be such economies as Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Overall, the process of BRICS expansion is likely to continue in the coming years as the presidency goes to Russia in 2024 and Brazil in 2025. For at least several years the BRICS is likely to continue its extrovert development mode, with one of the priorities in 2024-2025 likely to be the creation and expansion of the BRICS "partnership belt". There may be further steps directed at increasing the membership of the New Development Bank as well as possibly strengthening the role of the BRICS CRA in providing support to BRICS members and their regional allies. The most significant benefits from BRICS expansion will come from the lowering of trade and investment barriers across the Global South – something that will be predicated on the cooperation among the BRICS-led regional blocs. But for these dividends to materialize the BRICS need to prioritize economic cooperation and trade liberalization in the group's development agenda.

Russia
Source: brics-plus-analytics.org

Regionalism is a force in the global economy that is finally starting to receive its due recognition on the international arena. The highlight of this trend was the 2023 decision by the G20 to admit the African Union (AU) as a full-fledged member. The importance of regional factors in dealing with the ongoing economic challenges in the global economy also came to the fore during the Annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in the fall of 2023, when the World Bank announced the formation of a platform for multilateral development banks (most of them regional development banks). Another trend observed in 2023 was the rise of the regional powers from the Global South and a string of their applications to join BRICS. This in effect positions BRICS+ as a potentially crucial platform for bringing together not only individual emerging economies, but also their regional integration arrangements. All of these developments were not only expected but were also actively advocated by BRICS+ Analytics throughout this year and still yet as early as 2018 in Valdai club reports.

These regionalization trends that are becoming palpable in the global economy may well further intensify in 2024. One of the most important events in 2024 associated with the expansion in the role of regionalism may be the conclusion of the EU-MERCOSUR trade deal. This would in effect be the first full-fledged trade accord concluded between large trade blocs with the aim of liberalizing trade. The attainment of an accord between the two regional groups will need to be reached in the first half of 2024 in order to avoid renewed delays that may follow after the EU parliamentary elections to be held on June 6-9, 2024.

Another important trend to watch in 2024 is Brazil's presidency in the G20. Brazil's leader Lula has already indicated that reforming global governance will be one of the priorities of Brazil's G20 presidency. At the same time Lula is also an active proponent of regional integration and cooperation among regional economic blocs – his efforts to breathe new life into MERCOSUR and to revive UNASUR are just some of the items on his regionalist agenda. It may hence be expected that Brazil could use its G20 presidency to invite more regional blocs into the G20 global forum after the AU became its member in 2023. One of the possible modalities of this greater integration of regional blocs into the G20 could be the creation of a platform for regional integration blocs as an engagement group within the G20 – a regional R20 similar to B20 (Business 20) and other such engagement groups. Alternatively, Brazil could also invite other regional integration blocs such as MERCOSUR as full-fledged members of the G20.

As for the BRICS bloc, Russia's presidency will explore the possibility of bringing the BRICS closer with such regional groupings as the Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Such a format of "integration of integrations" appears to be incomplete – it does not explicitly involve the participation of other regional economic blocs in which BRICS countries are members – BIMSTEC, MERCOSUR, African Union being cases in point. Furthermore, thus far there is not clear roadmap of trade liberalization to be pursued on the basis of such BRICS-led platforms of "integration of integrations". In essence there are two possible tracks for the "integrations of integrations" within BRICS – either the geopolitical/dialogue track (bringing non-FTA regional groups such as SCO, UNASUR, etc); and the economic track that brings together blocs such as the EAEU, AfCFTA, MERCOSUR and others that target trade liberalization. The latter route would be the most pragmatic and beneficial mode of the "integration of integrations" for the Global South, most notably for Africa and the AfCFTA project.

On the latter note, the evolution of the AfCFTA is yet another important development in regionalism to watch out for in the course of 2024. Next year we may witness the first steps undertaken by Africa to explore the possibilities of connecting AfCFTA with other regional initiatives and to equip it with new development institutions. In particular, it is expected that in Q2 2024 a USD 10 bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund is due to launch its operations. The Fund is meant to boost intra-Africa trade and consists of the Credit Fund, the General Fund as well as the Base Fund – the latter sub-fund will compensate tariff losses and other possible adverse implications arising from the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement.

Overall, regionalism will become a more tangible trend in the world economy. It is becoming more entrenched in global fora such as the G20, it is playing a crucial role in trade liberalization and market openness (AfCFTA, MERCOSUR-EU deal), it may also become an important partner for global organizations such as the IMF, World Bank and the WTO in dealing with the rising pile of global problems and imbalances. In fact, with respect to the WTO regional integration blocs may become a crucial force in revitalizing this global trade body through closer coordination of their trade liberalization initiatives. Some observers may take the regionalization trends as a step back from the top-down globalization observed in the preceding decades. Be it as it may, such steps will need to be undertaken by the global economy in order to resume its forward advances – the old model of the development of the world economy has encountered its dead-end in one of the corners of the "globalization maze".

Russia
Source: en.interaffairs.ru

En route to the African continent, those of us on the special flight of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made forecasts about what would happen at the summit in Johannesburg, how BRICS expansion would unfold, which countries would join the Big Five, and how many. After the IL-96 aircraft of the Russia flight group took off, the minister, as is his custom, went into the main cabin to meet with journalists. He was in excellent form, in a good mood, and friendly and witty as always. He wished us successful work. We wished him the same. We flew on, anticipating a large-scale, world-class event. And then there were three days of summit meetings – three days that changed the world forever. Expectations were not simply met, but exceeded the wildest forecasts. The XV BRICS summit became the most representative in the entire history of the association. Delegations from nearly 60 countries took part in the forum. Its decisions, without any exaggeration, can be called historic.

BRICS now consists of 11 states that are full members of the association. In Johannesburg, an invitation to join the Big Five was extended to Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The numbers are as follows: 45% of the planet's population (3.6 billion people), 32% of the entire earth's landmass (48.4 million square kilometers, twice as much as the G7), 37% of the world's GDP, and 45% of the world's oil reserves. The foreign trade turnover of the BRICS countries, including the new members, amounted to $12.4 trillion in 2022, which is one-fifth of the volume of world trade (which amounts to $61.08 trillion, according to the World Bank).

It is also significant that, unlike the G7 states, the BRICS countries are demonstrating global demographic growth. Amid the predicted decline in industry in Europe and the US, the BRICS share in the world economy will also increase. According to forecasts, by 2050, BRICS countries will make the list of the top 10 most efficient economies in the world, and the balance of power in the international arena, as well as the entire architecture of global governance, will change radically and irrevocably.

The theme of the XV summit – "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism" – is relevant to all countries of the global majority. Therefore, it is not surprising that top officials not only from the countries of the African continent but also the countries of Asia and Latin America were present in Johannesburg. At the forum, Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who attended the summit in person. He was greeted with friendly warmth, as an honored and special guest. South Africa has fresh impressions from the Second Russia-Africa Summit, attended by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, which recently concluded in St. Petersburg.

Ahead of the summit, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted in an interview with our publication:

Increasingly, more countries from the Global South and East are beginning to realize and formulate their own national interests and pursue policies focused on their implementation in the spirit of international cooperation. These states are insisting more and more on establishing a fairer world order – through the reform of existing interaction formats or the creation of new ones to address specific security and development challenges. We support this trend based on a clear understanding that this is where the future lies.

BRICS is an example of such a new format – appealing, effective, and promising. It is a new unifying force, a space for fair dialogue among all participants in international activities, and a universal platform for cooperation rather than competition, where everyone can reach an agreement with everyone else. This is a practical response to the long- overdue need to move global governance in a fairer and smarter direction.

Closer and more diverse inter- action within BRICS is aimed at establishing and strengthening emergent models of effective and mutually beneficial cooper- ation that are not subject to the whims of the 21st-century neo-colonialists.

The BRICS summit took place amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. According to local observers, BRICS diplomatic activities have seriously undermined the US White House's strategy toward many countries, including Russia. It is obvious that the administrative resources of the "world's police officer" no longer operate as before. Previously, the West viewed BRICS merely as a negotiating platform with little influence on the international agenda. Now that there is a queue to join the bloc, it cannot be called ephemeral. The expansion of BRICS marks the moral victory of the global majority over the collective West.

Putin's speech was met with great interest in Johannesburg. He took part in the summit via video link.

We are all united in our commitment to shaping a multipolar world order with genuine justice, based on international law and in keeping with the key principles set forth in the UN Charter, including sovereignty and respect for the right of every nation to follow its own development model. We oppose hegemonies of any kind and the exceptional status that some countries aspire to, as well as the new policy it entails – a policy of continued neo-colonialism.

Everyone in Johannesburg found these words from the Russian leader's speech relatable.

The part of the president's speech that addressed the need to strengthen cooperation within BRICS in the field of global innovation was also met with understanding. "We expect cooperation as part of the BRICS initiative to establish an international infrastructure network with a dedicated fund, which could be used to support and develop it," the president emphasized. Vladimir Putin recalled that Russia will assume chairmanship of BRICS in 2024, and that the next summit will take place in October 2024, in Kazan. "We intend to hold about 200 events on political, economic, and social matters in over 10 Russian cities," the Russian leader announced.

Such large-scale interest in BRICS and the rapid growth of the association's influence on the global agenda is obviously not to the liking of Western countries. Even during the preparation stage of the summit, they tried in various ways to prevent it from taking place. Various diplomatic and information tools were used to sow discord among the BRICS countries, particularly on the Ukrainian issue: a meeting in Jeddah, a G7 meeting in Hiroshima, a so-called "summit" meeting in Copenhagen, as well as ongoing speculation regarding alleged differences in BRICS over the admission of new members to the organization.

Among these subversive attempts was a request from French President Emmanuel Macron for an invitation to Johannesburg. He never got one. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented at the time that BRICS was created to increase the role of developing countries in a multipolar world and solve problems that are important to the entire world. "The participation of the president of France in the BRICS summit would not help meet those objectives," the diplomat noted, emphasizing that Russia considers it inappropriate for representatives of countries that are in the "vanguard of a hostile policy toward our country" to participate in BRICS meetings.

Lavrov gave his assessment of the destructive policy of the so-called collective West during his final press conference. In response to a question from International Affairs about the likelihood of these states adopting a more common sense-based foreign policy course, the minister said:

As for when the West might turn toward common sense, I cannot make any judgment. The "officials" now leading Western governments in the vast majority of countries are showing unity in promoting the American agenda under Washington's leadership – even, as we see in Europe, to the detriment of their own economies and citizens. This group of countries is completely driven by ideology. As President Putin once put it, they "imagine themselves to be inhabitants of heaven and are trying to act the part of the Lord God."

Sometimes we come across such people; we have conversations with them on the sidelines, but no glimmer of common sense can be seen. "You must," "you are obligated." To whom are we obligated and for what? This is not a situation where you can expect to convey your viewpoint through dialogue and hope that your vis-à-vis will at least hear it.

We are always open to discussions, but we are not going to respond to boorish ultimatums, blackmail, and threats by calling for discussions. The Westerners themselves say that they must "get victory" over Russia on the battlefield and "inflict a strategic defeat." This is what they have now instead of common sense. This means that we are going to work on this "field" – not on the diplomatic or international legal field but on the battlefield.

They understand this perfectly well but cannot utter it. They are not allowed to. They know why we are fighting there. Russian President Putin clearly stated this when speaking at the BRICS summit: for our security, for the interests of people who want to speak Russian, teach their children in Russian, and enjoy the fruits of Russian culture on lands that were home to their ancestors for centuries. This is something that should be clear to everyone.

Answering another question from our publication about whether the topic of democratizing the activities of the UN and reviving its central role in coordinating the interests of member states was discussed on the sidelines of the summit, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said:

We have been talking for a long time about the need for UN reform. Over the past 15 years, many innovations have been introduced, various commissions have been created on peacebuilding (this topic has been added to the agenda), on climate issues, on artificial intelligence, and on information technology. Much has been accomplished. This helps the organization adapt to global developments, including in science and technology.

The main issue is reform of the Security Council. It is this body that symbolizes the UN in the eyes of most people. It has unique powers, including the power to make decisions on matters of war and peace, as well as on coercive measures such as sanctions. When we talk about justice and democratization, we cannot accept the fact that six of the 15 members of the Security Council represent the "camp" of the US and are completely subordinate to its will.

In the documents we have adopted, there is a paragraph confirming the commitment of BRICS countries to UN Security Council reform in order to increase the representation of developing countries. India, Brazil, and South Africa are mentioned there as states whose active role in the UN we value and want to strengthen within the framework of the Security Council.

This was the first time that BRICS documents stated our support for UN Security Council reform through the expansion of developing countries' representation in all categories of membership, including permanent membership.

We have once again clarified our position regarding the other two candidates for permanent seats. India and Brazil have been submitting official applications for a long time now, as have Germany and Japan, forming the so- called "Group of Four. In a situational sense, their interests coincide, but in a semantic sense, there can be no talk of Germany and Japan joining the Security Council on a permanent basis, thereby exacerbating injustice. More than a third of the current composition of the Security Council represents countries of the so-called "golden billion," while the remaining 7 billion [of Earth's inhabitants] are underrepresented. Neither Germany nor Japan would bring anything new to Security Council discussions. They are obedient executors of Washington's will, as are almost all the Western countries. The rare calls for the European Union's "strategic autonomy" are easily overshadowed by resounding cries of "maintain discipline" and "do not break ranks."

Today's decision, which was announced at the morning press conference (the decision to expand the association), will further strengthen our coordination. BRICS already holds regular events within the UN framework. For example, the UN General Assembly will take place in September. Every year, BRICS has a gathering there at the ministerial level.

We will not wait until January 1, 2024, but will begin establishing contacts in advance (as the future chairman of BRICS) with the new [BRICS] members. We will help them "get into action," so that by the time of the Kazan summit, all 11 players (the size of a soccer team) are fully immersed in the issues on the agenda already announced by our chairmanship.

So, despite everything, BRICS is confidently moving forward, as clearly illustrated by the summit in Johannesburg. Member countries still have to formulate new regulations, establish new rules of interaction, and work on creating their own models in the financial sector as alternatives to Western ones (their own payment system, a new transfer system as an alternative to SWIFT, and their own insurance systems). But, as they say, where there's a will, there's a way. Moreover, the organization's expansion opens up enormous opportunities for increasing mutual investments.

It is well known that any interaction is a two-way street, and in the case of BRICS, it is a multidirectional one. Of course, these multidirectional tracks can still have hidden dangers stemming from the destructive policies of the West. Closer and more diverse interaction within BRICS is aimed at establishing and strengthening emergent models of effective and mutually beneficial cooperation that are not subject to the whims of the 21st-century neocolonialists. The XV summit in Johannesburg took a giant step in this direction.

Johannesburg, 2023

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Colleagues,

We have gathered for our last meeting in this format this year. In just five days, the New Year will arrive. At the same time, Russian Federation begins its chairmanship of BRICS. With this in mind, today we have agreed to discuss the role of political parties in enhancing cooperation in this growing and increasingly popular format. You have a draft agenda for the meeting. If there are no objections, I propose to get down to work.

To begin with, I will say a few words on this topic. The formation of a multipolar, polycentric world order is undeniably becoming a major trend in international development. This process is steadily progressing, involving sovereign states and their associations that do not rely on advice from across the ocean or from closer territories, but rather prioritise their own national interests, as cultural and civilisational identity. They promote their own agenda in both domestic and international spheres, choosing the model of political and socio-economic development that best suits their people and traditions.

At the same time, many of these countries have already achieved significant success in various fields, such as economics, science and technology, and are influencing global governance and the decisions made by leading multilateral organisations. Among them (although we cannot list them all, we will mention our strategic partners) are China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Türkiye and many other countries of the Global South and East.

I have mentioned above all the countries that will join the BRICS association from January 1, 2024, in accordance with the decision made at the summit in Johannesburg this autumn.

The world is becoming increasingly diverse, with more independent players. However, this also makes it more complex, which is evident from the way discussions are developing at multilateral forums. A prominent example of this is the interaction within BRICS. Over the years, this association has been a platform for efficient cooperation among states that represent various religions, world regions and – without exaggeration – even civilisations. Our joint efforts encompass nearly all major areas, ranging from politics and security issues to the economy and humanitarian contacts in all their forms. In fact, BRICS represents a cooperation network that operates in addition to the traditional North-South and West-East lines.

With the addition of new members, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia (Argentina has now taken a 'timeout' to consider further actions, but Latin America shows a strong interest in our association), BRICS activities will undoubtedly become more comprehensive, and the process of reaching agreements will become more time-consuming. However, making an effort to reach consensus with countries that often have different approaches is very rewarding. This kind of consensus is stronger, more stable and more reliable than resolutions made by certain Western associations under the hegemon's orders.

It is only natural that many are willing to become closer to BRICS as it operates on a truly democratic and mutually respectful basis. Along with the countries that have already joined its ranks, about 30 states are currently seeking to establish partnerships with the association. We will continue to work towards ensuring BRICS' greater role as a pillar of the multipolar world, which will be built upon enhanced regional foundations, particularly in the countries that belong to the global majority. Here I should mention ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the African Union and numerous sub-regional structures on the continent, as well as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which includes all Latin American countries. Latin America also has many sub-regional structures that are based on a balance of interests and deserve support. We have established partnerships with most of them. This is about regional aspects and the new structure that is developing as the foundation of a multipolar world, with its growth based on actual developments rather than anyone's orders. As an association that involves all regions of the World Majority, BRICS can play a consolidating role.

We are discussing these issues with our colleagues from the scientific community, including within the Foreign Ministry's Scientific Council. We believe that the strength of the process of establishing a multipolar and polycentric world lies precisely in the fact that it is the natural course of things that countries tend towards after they have got rid of colonial oppression.

Recently, the world has seen daylight concerning the goals, which the Americans and their allies were achieving when promoting their model of globalisation. They had a similar colonial and neo-colonial goal – to live at the expense of others, to ensure one's well-being (yes, this word is quite acceptable) through the exploitation of the natural resources, and other resources, of developing countries.

Our BRICS chairmanship will take place under the theme "Strengthening multilateralism for the purposes of fair global development and security." Over a dozen Russian cities will provide venues for more than two hundred political, economic, and social events. Our chairmanship will culminate in the BRICS summit, to be held in Kazan in October 2024. Together with our partners, we expect to be able to reach a substantial set of decisions for adoption at the highest level in the main areas of cooperation. Of course, we will have contacts with our partners on the sidelines of the summit and during preparations for it, including at the BRICS Plus/Outreach format meeting. Leaders of many developing countries will take part in these formats, primarily our closest neighbours and allies from associations within the post-Soviet space.

Dialogue between legislative bodies also promotes the strengthening of strategic partnership in the association. The annual BRICS Parliamentary Forum plays a key role in this area. It has undergone changes in membership. Additional efforts will be required here to ensure the smooth continuation of this important area of our common work. The next meeting of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum is scheduled for July 2024. In April 2024, a meeting of BRICS chairs of parliamentary committees on foreign affairs will take place. I have no doubt that the legislators will facilitate the integration of the new members into our grouping, paying special attention to pressing issues, such as improving the legal framework for cooperation within BRICS.

In this context, we are considering a proposal by the United Russia party to hold a forum of BRICS political parties in Vladivostok next July. This venue has already won a reputation as a useful format that promotes dialogue between political parties and public organisations. The interparty forum will make it possible to reflect in full the diversity of the distinctive political practices of the BRICS member states and contribute to their mutual enrichment. This is much in demand in the current international situation.

At our ministry, we continue implementing the United Russia initiative to hold an international interparty forum in Moscow bringing together supporters of the struggle against modern neocolonialist practices for the freedom of nations. I am pleased to say that a number of political structures of the BRICS countries are taking an active part in preparations for this.

It is helpful to use the potential of party diplomacy in the future to draw the attention of the public at large and especially young people in the BRICS countries to the forthcoming international humanitarian and sports events. These include the World Youth Festival in Sochi, The Games of the Future, and the BRICS Games, as well as the Intervision international song contest, to name a few.

Colleagues,

Speaking at a meeting of the Council of Legislators devoted to the 30th anniversary of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on December 20 of this year, President Vladimir Putin emphasised the contribution our parliamentary diplomacy had made towards enhancing Russia's authority in the world arena and promoting a sovereign course towards building a fairer world.

For my part, I would like to thank all members of the Сommission for their joint work. This is our third meeting this year. This is a good rhythm. At the two previous sessions, we discussed ways of enhancing cooperation with the Asian, African and Latin American countries in countering modern neocolonialist practices and in implementing the new version of the Foreign Policy Сoncept of the Russian Federation.

Today, we are moving on to discussing a theme that specifies key areas of the [foreign policy] concept and cooperation with the countries of the developing continents – the World Majority. I have no doubt that we will cooperate productively in the new year as well.

We appreciate cooperation with the political parties represented in the Russian Parliament. It helps the implementation of the foreign policy course approved by President Putin.

Germany
Source: www.dw.com

The five-nation BRICS group is growing, and so is its influence. Will the expanding alliance, all very politically different nations, become an anti-Western bloc on the world stage — or can it be a force for good?

Although a setback, it's one the BRICS nations will be able to overcome: Argentina will not be joining the alliance of states in early January after all, after the new government recently canceled its plans in a statement posted on the X, formerly Twitter. However, BRICS will gain five other new member countries in 2024: Egypt and Ethiopia will join together with the energy heavyweights Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran.

With this expansion, BRICS is consolidating its status as the voice of the Global South and bringing more weight to bear on international politics. The expansion is taking place with Russia serving as chair — and when Russian President Vladimir Putin rolls out the red carpet for the October summit in Kazan, Russia, there will be twice as many heads of state in the family portrait as before.

The BRICS trajectory has been remarkable: It started in 2001 when Goldman Sachs bankers coined the acronym BRIC for an investment fund. In 2009, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China met for the first time. Finally, in 2011, South Africa became the first African country to join.

This trajectory is all the more astonishing because democracies such as Brazil, India and South Africa have been working pragmatically across ideological lines with autocracies like China and Russia. Even deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops on the disputed border in 2020 did not break up the bloc.

Overcoming differences, finding common ground

The newcomers will also bring with them considerable risk of conflict. Egypt and Ethiopia are fighting over water from the Nile, and Saudi Arabia and Iran have been battling for supremacy in the Persian Gulf for decades.

BRICS can only make decisions unanimously, so neither China nor Russia, and soon Iran, will be able to easily implement their own agendas. Yet, as different as the BRICS nations and their interests are, Johannes Plagemann, a political scientist at the Hamburg think tank GIGA, said there is a basic consensus.

"They want an international world order that is less dominated by the West" — a stance that is not to be equated with hostility toward the West, he said. In September, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's foreign minister, made a distinction for his country that is likely to apply to the majority of BRICS states: "India is not Western, it is not anti-Western."

BRICS membership alone does not confer greater status in international politics, explains political scientist Günther Maihold. But it does offer a way to avoid taking sides in the growing geostrategic competition between China and Russia and the West.

"With BRICS membership, they are making it clear that they don't want to be drawn into this binary logic and instead aim to secure their independence," said Maihold, who teaches at the Free University of Berlin.

Russia benefits from BRICS leadership

Putin's grand reception by future BRICS members Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early December — despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine and an international arrest warrant — is a clear sign of this independence.

According to GIGA expert Plagemann, Russia heading up BRICS and its role in hosting the BRICS summit in 2024 has several advantages. First, it would demonstrate domestically that Russia is by no means as isolated as the West would like it to be.

"And, of course, the bottom line for Russia is to be able to bypass the West economically, to be able to effectively circumvent sanctions and sell its own raw materials profitably," he said.

Even the West's allies in BRICS are scarcely complying with the Western sanctions against Russia. Some even regard the sanctions as a warning sign. The punitive measures against Russia and Iran, such as freezing foreign exchange reserves and excluding them from the SWIFT international payment system, have fueled efforts to look for alternatives to the US-dominated financial system — just to be safe.

Building a real alternative is difficult and takes time. But the United Arab Emirates, for example, is already using local currencies instead of US dollars to pay for gas and oil deliveries to India and China.

Although BRICS doesn't even have its own administrative office, it does have its own financial institution: the New Development Bank. The bank would be able to raise capital once the cash-rich oil monarchies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates join.

This would be an alternative source of funding for national development projects and could also be a means of dealing with sovereign debt "that would not be tied to the kinds of conditions that are typical of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund," explained Maihold.


Values vs. interests

Plagemann expects to see further changes as a result of the rise of the Global South and the West's relative loss of power. "In many areas of international politics, the world will become more transactional," he said. "There will be less emphasis on ideological agreement, promoting democracy, human rights, and so on, and that all parties involved will focus more on achieving their own core interests."

"What the German foreign minister is promoting worldwide, namely that the basis for cooperation is based on shared values, is not regarded as fundamental," stressed Maihold. "What the BRICS members would say about the rules-based order we are trying to sell is: 'We didn't make the rules. And there is no reason why we should subscribe to or comply with them.'"

As Julian Barnes-Dacey and Jeremy Shapiro argued recently in the US magazine Foreign Policy: "For the less powerful countries, the rules-based order was always little more than hypocrisy on a global scale."

Plagemann called for adopting a calm approach to BRICS, and advised viewing the alliance of states as a partner for cooperation where that makes sense.

"If major international institutions such as the United Nations are becoming less and less capable of acting, then the remaining groups, factions and institutions must at least be able to potentially cooperate. There is no point in creating an opposition," he said.

This article was originally written in German.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Dmitry Kiselev: What do you consider Russia's main diplomatic victory in the outgoing year of 2023?

Sergey Lavrov: It is difficult to single out just one event. I believe that our victory was not only and not so much a diplomatic one. First, a victory is forged on the frontline, in the special military operation.

However, the results there would definitely have been different if it were not for the home front and nationwide support. Our entire people, all our leadership headed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin are ensuring forward progress. It is obvious and steady. It is expressed in the results at the contact line, the results of hostilities and in our economic performance. President Vladimir Putin spoke about this quite recently. He noted that the economy is expected to increase by at least 3.5 percent against the backdrop of declining GDP growth in Europe, including Germany that was the driver of the European economy.

The main point is that practically the entire country, all social strata have worked and continue working for victory. When we launched the special military operation, the West started gloating – Vladimir Putin wanted to stop NATO's expansion but now the alliance is expanding with Finland, and Sweden is next in line. Probably, this is how they are reassuring themselves. They wanted to convince themselves that they had done everything right. But in reality, they wanted something else. Their main goal was not to expand NATO but to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia. This was the whole point of the expansion by the North Atlantic alliance.

Back in 2015, US President Barrack Obama said that the Russian economy was "in tatters." Now they are seeing the reverse effect from their policy of weakening and even splitting up Russia. Many idle armchair politicians abroad started speculating about this as well. Because of this hybrid war by the entire collective West, which was unleashed by the hands, bodies and other parts of Ukrainian society against us with the use of modern Western weapons, Russia has become much stronger during this year. The unity of our people has increased substantially. I am sure that this is not what they wanted. They wanted to split the country up and promote protests against the special military operation. The sanctions were supposed to stir up people and provoke waves of protests. But they only achieved stronger cohesion in the country and among the people.

Dmitry Kiselev: Do diplomats feel it?

Sergey Lavrov: Yes, we do. And we are taking an active part in it. Everything that is happening is the subject of difficult discussions in the external contour.

The overwhelming majority of states, the World Majority, have not joined the sanctions but cannot raise their voice high enough during debates for the time being. However, they are coming to realise that this could happen to anyone, and that any country could become a target for sanctions by the US, Europe or any US ally. Nobody can predict what the US won't like the next day. In the last few years, the US did not like the fact that Ukraine was a neighbour of Russia and was striving to develop normal working relations with it. They started dragging it into the European Union under the slogan "you're either with us or with Russia." This "either-or" ultimatum will not go away anytime soon.

Look at Serbia. They are being told the same thing:
"Join the sanctions against Russia, give Kosovo away, recognise its full independence, and we will admit you to the European Union."

Dmitry Kiselev: And if not, a state coup will happen.

Sergey Lavrov: They tried to stage a state coup. Moreover, I will note (since you mentioned it) how the Western community represented by the EU reacted to the latest elections. The US accused the Serbian authorities of ballot stuffing and vote-buying during the elections. Washington said this on the same day when the campaign on removing Donald Trump from the elections was launched. That's what the ruling elite wanted. This evoked waves of indignation in the US itself but this doesn't matter at all to the US administration. They are allowed to do anything. They will do all they want, and then dictate to others. Many countries are aware of this.

More and more countries are telling us that they are with us. They understand that the lengthy process of forming a multipolar world has begun. They will help us by action but will have to occasionally trot out fake excuses (excuse the rude expression) to avoid being given a hard time. This is a serious trend.

The West's striving to lecture others is not limited to African or the Latin American countries, or even to Serbia, a small European state.

Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel recently went to China. I was shocked to hear Ursula von der Leyen say in an interview on the sidelines of this visit that Europe's attitude towards China would be determined by its attitude to Ukraine. I couldn't even imagine such impudence. Yes, they got used to speaking like that with their former colonies or some other "average countries" that depend financially on the EU and other Western states. But talking like that with a great power, a country with the world's biggest economy and millennia-long history, culture and traditions… This speaks volumes about the manners of modern European bureaucrats.

Dmitry Kiselev: We will get back to this later. After all, this interview is taking place in the run-up to the New Year. How would you describe Russia's top diplomatic goals in the coming year?

Sergey Lavrov: First, our goal is to continue to provide vigorous and proactive support for the special military operation internationally. This goal was defined by President Vladimir Putin. He himself is at the forefront of the foreign policy efforts. Our goals in this regard are a top priority.

Everything else is subordinated to the goal of ensuring an objective picture of Russia internationally as well. This has always been the case. With the special military operation underway and our ongoing confrontation with the West, including on the economic and sanctions front, the objective substantiation of our actions takes on special importance.

The key areas some of which have been significantly adjusted (and some redefined) are reflected in the Foreign Policy Concept approved by the President in March. It clearly prioritises relations with the Global Majority, rather than with the countries that have publicly declared us an adversary. ( US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, a public official, even went as far as calling us an enemy). If so, we are prepared for any turn of events. More than once in history, there have been attempts to conquer and subjugate us.

In the context of the emphasis on the Global Majority, on the countries that are ready to work with us in a fair, mutually beneficial and mutually respectful manner, including in the economy, politics, and security, our chairmanships, two of them, coming next year, are of central importance. One is in the CIS and the other in BRICS.

I will not discuss the CIS at length, or focus on the importance of our immediate neighbours, allies, and strategic partners. There is a chairmanship programme which relies on the wealth of experience gained in the post-Soviet space. There is every reason to believe that in the coming year the CIS will continue to build on its positive dynamics in all spheres of its activities.

Clearly, our BRICS chairmanship has a global dimension. The number of its members has doubled following the summit in Johannesburg in August. Starting from January 1, 2024, we will need to bring the new members up to speed. Our activities cover international politics, international security, economy, culture, education (universities cooperate with each other) and, increasingly, sports.

The BRICS Games have been planned as well as steps to create our own cinema award. Plans are in place to revive the Intervision song contest, but no longer within the space of the former Warsaw Pact and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, as before, but as part of the BRICS+. Almost all countries will have the opportunity to participate in this contest.

The economy and finance matter the most. During the summit in August, the BRICS countries clearly outlined the goal (spearheaded by Brazilian President Lula da Silva) for central banks and finance ministers to submit recommendations concerning alternative payment systems. Everyone is tired of the US dollar, which has become a tool to exert influence, to undermine the legitimate competitive positions of countries from different regions, to interfere in internal affairs, and to change regimes.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva suggested using alternative means of payment for all Latin America. But in addition to this regional initiative, he has a global proposal. It is being developed by BRICS. By the next summit in Kazan in October 2024, ministries of finance and central banks should present such a proposal.

The issue is about securing and protecting the global economy from those who, for many years now, even after the colonial era, have been trying to preserve some of its elements in the sense that they wanted to continue to live at the expense of others. They imposed their model of globalisation on everyone, and many people fell for it. Market economy, fair competition, inviolability of property, and presumption of innocence were introduced by the West as global values. Likewise, the Americans never stopped emphasising that the US dollar was the reserve currency for the entire world rather than just the United States, and the most reliable safety net protecting against all troubles. When they were confronted with the need to fulfil their universal (as they believe) goal of weakening Russia and undermining our position in the world, without second thought, all these principles were discarded, and a real war began.

Everyone has come to this conclusion firmly. From now on, the formation of the global economic system will follow different paths.

We realise that our Chinese friends' trade with the United States and the EU is tens of times greater than with the Russian Federation. However, it is decreasing, while our trade with China has grown by almost 30 percent. It passed the $200 billion target ahead of schedule (it is now around $230 billion). By the end of the year, the statisticians will come up with the final results.

Here is what I would like to say. China has beaten the United States at its own game based on the globalisation standards introduced by the United States and later used by the Chinese. Truth be told, we relied on the same principles after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and everyone thought that we entered an era of universal prosperity, and now all people are friends, comrades and brothers.

The United States witnessed the rise of China. Washington announced its goal that no country should be stronger than America in any sphere of human activity. That means total hegemony. This is the official ideology. The Americans began to discriminate against Chinese-made goods. For years, China has been filing lawsuits with the WTO's dispute settlement body. For many years, this body has been unable to review them because the United States has blocked this mechanism by preventing the election of new members to replace the outgoing ones. There is just no quorum there, such a simple and basic trick. This is just one example, of which there are many. These are the methods used by the United States.

Moving towards a fairer economic order cannot be stopped. The BRICS summit participants set a clear goal and made a clear demand: give BRICS members and other developing countries that have lifted themselves up economically and financially quotas at the IMF and the World Bank that reflect their real economic weight. They won't. This is just another case of the United States corrupting its own principles of fair competition.

I could talk at length about these goals. They will be fulfilled not only during the next year, but during many following years as well.

Dmitry Kiselev: Changes are visible on the Ukrainian track. What can we expect? What are you getting ready for as diplomats?

Sergey Lavrov: We are getting ready to implement our goals – demilitarisation and denazification. There is no avoiding this. We are actively working with the developing nations, especially in the context of changes in the West's tactics. Maybe, the West is even thinking about "specifying its strategy" because if "Russia's strategic defeat" is a strategy (excuse my tautology please), it has failed miserably. Everyone understands this. They are starting to approach us and beginning to whisper – why don't you meet someone who will be ready to talk to you in Europe. Indicatively, this suggests talking about Ukraine without Ukraine.

Before, they would boast of their position – "Not a word about Ukraine without Ukraine." Now there are signals and leaks in the Western media about the West's desire to search for ways to overcome this situation. But they try to find approaches that will allow them to announce Ukraine's "victory." These are idle officials for whom it is important to report that they fulfilled a five-year plan in three or four years (like it was with some Soviet bureaucratic structures). In most cases, this was true but often it was an eyewash. I think what the West is doing now is very similar to the worst cases of eye washing in our country. Indicatively, they are not good at it. It is clear what they want to achieve – to leave as soon as possible from this grievous position, one that Europe was driven into primarily by Washington. The Americans have disrupted the European economy and risen very seriously at Europe's expense by dragging down its industrial production, providing energy for their industry at prices that are four or five times less than those they imposed on Europe for their LNG after blowing up our pipelines. They have done this before, too. They need a way out "without losing face" or a way out that will allow them to persuade at least themselves that they have not lost face. This is how I see it.

The launch of the Copenhagen format created in June of 2023 was part of this changed tactic. Several meetings in this format have already taken place. The G7, BRICS members (except Russia) and a number of other large developing nations were invited to attend. The goal was to compel them to sign Vladimir Zelensky's "peace formula." This is a figment of their sick imagination. No matter what was written in the agenda of these meetings for decoration – food security or energy security – the main point was to tell Russia – "Go back to the 1991 borders, give Crimea and Donbass back." In general, they were going to establish an "exclusion zone" around Russia, where a demilitarised zone would be announced on its territory and many other things.

When developing nations started visiting these meetings, we asked them why they needed to do this. Don't they understand that these meetings were pointless at best? They replied that they understand everything. These statements were made by countries from the world majority, which were invited to attend these meetings. But they were pursuing two things: first, they wanted to hear what they had to say, and how serious a suggested settlement would be, and second, they wanted to explain that nothing good would come of it until direct talks were held with Russia's participation. Russia was not only ready for such talks but we had practically come to terms (President Vladimir Putin confirmed this again recently).

Considering our good relations, I can say that another meeting like this took place ten days ago – the G7 plus the leading developing nations. Not all countries from the world majority attended. Some turned down their invitations. The meeting took place in complete secrecy. Nothing was reported about it; there were no leaks.

Dmitry Kiselev: But you know about it.

Sergey Lavrov: Yes, we do. Our close allies and associates who attended that meeting did not promise to keep an issue that concerns Russia secret from us. Another meeting is scheduled to take place in January 2024 and a "peace summit," where Zelensky's "peace formula" is to be "approved," in February 2024.

The information we've received has been corroborated by numerous other sources. The West is talking about "Zelensky's 10-point plan," which does not allow for any deviation, not a step left, right or back, only forward; and must be approved as is. In simple terms, it is a scam, pardon my French. Here are the 10 points, they say. If the idea of a cordon sanitaire around Russia doesn't sit well with you, consider food security, they say, as if in sympathy.

Next, they will say that so many countries are taking part, and that one accepted this "innocent" point and another accepted that "innocent" point, like nuclear safety, and that, taken together, they support the restoration of Ukraine's borders recognised in 1991.

When we talked about possible solutions to the crisis with the countries that were invited to that get-together and those who were kept outside that process but want to be informed about it, we told them a simple thing.

What does the recognition of the 1991 borders mean? It means that Ukraine will remain within the borders that existed at a time when the Soviet Union was dissolved. President Putin has pointed out again recently that part of that process was the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by Ukraine, which clearly stated that it would not join NATO, that everyone was equal, that national minorities had equal rights, and so on.

Today Zelensky says he must get these territories back. Many events have happened since 1991. A number of laws have been adopted, beginning in the Yushchenko period and later during the terms of Poroshenko and Zelensky. It was a post-coup campaign. The use of the Russian language was prohibited in all spheres. The Constitution of Ukraine still guarantees the rights of the Russian and other ethnic minorities and explains this provision in detail with regard to education, culture, upbringing and virtually all other spheres. The new laws ban all this in flagrant violation of the Constitution. These laws have been supplemented with local regulations. For example, several months ago Vladimir Klitschko banned the use of Russian in all spheres in Kiev: in the cultural and social spheres and in everyday life. However, the majority of people continue to speak Russian. It is evidence of the people's attitude towards the Kiev regime and its slogans.

There is a selection of quotes about what Ukrainian officials think about Russians. After the state coup, then Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseny Yatsenyuk said that Russians are "subhuman." Later, Petr Poroshenko said that their children would attend schools and kindergartens while children in Donbass would be sitting in basements. Zelensky was asked before the special military operation what he thought about the people living in Donbass and their demand for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. He said that there were people and then there were "creatures" and that those who lived in Ukraine and were Ukrainian citizens but felt association with the Russian language and culture should "beat it to Russia." He said this in August 2021.

Therefore, those who call on the world to support the demand for returning Ukraine to the 1991 borders are supporting the call for genocide.

Dmitry Kiselev: On Monday, Vladimir Putin actually said that it is like a civil war. He said it. He also said that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. This means that we are the largest divided nation in the world (a close comparison is East Germany and West Germany). We are fighting for reunification. It is a historical process. Moreover, President Putin outlined the geographical boundaries, saying that Ukraine's western lands were historically pro-Western, and that Western countries were not averse to having them back. He said that we would not interfere, but we would not give up what is ours. In other words, the essence of the current developments is much broader than the initial goals of the special military operation: denazification and demilitarisation. It is the historical reunification of a divided nation. How else can one see this process? Am I right?

Sergey Lavrov: Absolutely. We were aware of the tragedy when the Soviet Union fell apart and the next morning over 25 million people found themselves living abroad. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created, and all sides declared in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and in Almaty in December 1991 that they would remain brothers forever and that no artificial barriers would be created to living together and speaking the same language. Yes, we became different states, it so happened, but we lived in the same civilisational and historical space. This is how it was.

The destruction of that ideology of brotherhood and unity began in Ukraine. Ample evidence has been made public, showing that the Americans and the British started "heating up" the situation back in 1993. You know what this has led to.

I would like to get back to the previous question. It is connected with what we are talking about now. Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Alexei Danilov and all sorts of Yermaks and Podolyaks say that they will take Crimea back. Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov said this recently, that they would take Crimea back even if several hundred thousand people would perish in the process…

Dmitry Kiselev: I think he said millions.

Sergey Lavrov: No, it was some Ukrainian woman who said this.

Dmitry Kiselev: "This will require a major effort since there are millions of erring and misguided people there."

Sergey Lavrov: But they speak Russian. "We will eradicate and eliminate all this," "we will kill off everything Russian."

This is the way they frame their vision. You referred to an objective truth when you mentioned President Vladimir Putin's statements. We are talking about one divided nation. The overwhelming majority of people in Ukraine have always spoken Russian, read in Russian, watched Russian movies and contributed to Russian culture. Some stand-up comics worked in Russia all the time, appeared in Russian shows, stage productions and other events and performed in Russian. These are the same people, including the President of Ukraine, who are now talking about cancelling everything Russian.

Vladimir Zelensky decided to say something in Russian recently and pretended, much like a drama queen, that he needed someone to remind him how to do it. But anyone who goes online can see that several years ago he took a principled position in the spirit of the Servant of the People by telling everyone to "stop nagging the Russians – this is their language, just live your lives." He said that he was a Russian-speaking Jew with a Ukrainian passport. Why can't he revert to this vision? He betrayed his people. Both his peoples.

When President Vladimir Putin expressed this idea, he made a special point by emphasising that everything was all right in our relations as long as Ukraine stayed true to the Declaration on State Sovereignty. It provided for non-bloc status and maintaining brotherly relations with neighbours. We could see that they were at least trying to abide by these principles. President Vladimir Putin recalled the time when we found ways to talk to each other and be friends even during Viktor Yushchenko's presidency despite its Western focus. We did not have any crises or repulsion which were artificially planted into the minds of a new generation of Ukrainian politicians by Washington, London or other capitals.

President Vladimir Putin has been talking about "never giving up anything that belongs to us" for quite a while now. He has recently recalled the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest and its declaration on enabling Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance. There was a Russia-NATO summit soon after the Bucharest meeting, and I was there. President Putin asked Angela Merkel, who was the German Chancellor at the time, why did they do this after promising that it would never happen. Her answer was that it was George W. Bush who made this case arguing that they had won. What was written was not binding – it was just a political promise. But what would constitute a legally binding promise, Vladimir Putin asked. It turned out that if NATO wanted to officially open its doors to Georgia and Ukraine, it would have offered them Membership Action Plans, i.e., a legal document where you can tick the boxes to track the way these curators greenlight various reforms. Vladimir Putin said that this was a mistake on their behalf.

During the Russia-NATO meeting, the Russian President questioned everyone about their decision. He went on to explain the fragile nature of Ukrainian statehood, how it came into existence, what happened when its western regions became part of the Soviet Union, and what needed to be done for them to live in harmony with the Russian people and their traditions. He explained everything. The message was that NATO's actions would disrupt this fragile balance. People in western and eastern Ukraine lived within a single state but had little in common, even in terms of their commemorative dates. By that time, people in Western Ukraine had stopped marking May 9 and instead celebrated Stepan Bandera's and Roman Shukhevich's birthdays, as well as the creation of the Ukrainian insurgent army. But people in eastern Ukraine will never forget what May 9 means for them. NATO needed to understand this at the very least.

They responded by creating a media narrative saying that President Putin described Ukraine as an artificial entity that had to be destroyed. The media did a great job of framing the issue the way their higher-ups desired. At the time, President Putin observed what we are now witnessing in western Ukraine. Poles are looking at these territories, and Budapest has been outraged by the way the Ukrainian government has been treating Hungarians in Transcarpathia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó regularly express their indignation and demand that education in the Hungarian language be reinstated. The same goes for Romanians.

Let me give you another example. A government coup has taken place in Ukraine. Crimea stood up against it and repelled an attempt to have a mob armed with bats and rifles seize the Supreme Council of Crimea. A referendum took place there. Donbass also said that it did not want to have anything to do with them and declared its independence. It took us a year to persuade the Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics to sign the Minsk agreements. In the wake of the Crimean Spring, with hostilities still raging, the Kiev regime designated people from Donetsk and Lugansk regions as terrorists and launched a punitive counter-terrorist operation. It used its air force to bomb cities, including Lugansk. In late April 2014, then US Secretary of State John Kerry proposed a meeting in Geneva. He brought along Catherine Ashton, the EU's top diplomat, and acting Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrey Deshchitsa, who was later appointed ambassador to Poland.

We had a good conversation and agreed on a document about one and a half or two pages long. In fact, I did not contribute to drafting many of its provisions. The document addressed the need for Ukraine's transition to a federal structure and launching efforts to draft a federal treaty with the participation of all heads of the Ukrainian regions without exception. This came as something natural for John Kerry and Catherine Ashton. But the document was never adopted. Still, there was an understanding in Washington and London at that time that this was a way out in order to prevent a chain reaction and further deterioration of the situation.

It was primarily Vladimir Zelensky who refused to accept federalism. Petr Poroshenko signed the Minsk agreements which outlined a clear framework for a federal structure since they provided for a special status for Donbass to be incorporated into the Ukrainian Constitution. How is this different from federalism? Vladimir Zelensky went on to deceive President of France Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In December 2019, the Normandy Four gathered in Paris and agreed on a document. Its provisions focused on what made any progress impossible, in particular, the need to grant the DPR and the LPR special status and enshrine it in the Constitution in order to ensure that this status is permanent.

Vladimir Zelensky signed this document. Fast forward several years, when the special military operation was already underway, Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andrey Yermak said that the President of Ukraine has deceived everyone just so that they would leave him alone while he focuses on the real thing (with the help of his senior comrades). He wanted to buy some time.

Dmitry Kiselev: Is there a sense that Germany is being downright ungrateful towards Russia? After all, East and West Germany were able to unite thanks to Moscow. Now, the Federal Republic of Germany is obstructing the process by sending tanks adorned with crosses.

Sergey Lavrov: You could put it that way. But when someone shows ingratitude, people who have a conscience feel ashamed and even lose sleep over it. People in charge of the Federal Republic of Germany have no such feelings.

I could talk about this at length. It is true, we played a decisive role in the unification of Germany. The Anglo-Saxons did not want it to happen at all. They reluctantly accepted it, fearing the revival of Germany as a major economic powerhouse and especially fearing the prospect of us establishing good relations with the Federal Republic of Germany. And that's exactly what happened eventually. It was the basis for Germany's economic prosperity.

There is more. The Munich Security Conference was held in February 2015. At that time, it still claimed to be an objective forum and brought together participants representing a wide range of public opinion at various events. Now, all it does is brainwash the public to fit the Western mould. There is no such thing as alternative institutions there, whereas in 2015 there was.

About 10 days before the Minsk agreements were signed and almost a year after Crimea reunited with Russia, I made a speech. A German member of the European Parliament (I cannot remember his name) asked me why we "annexed" Crimea. I said that if we were to have that conversation, we should think back to when the German people were a divided nation. He burst into hysterical laughter in an attempt to win over the audience. He used that hysterical tone to convey the idea of how dare I compare the Germans exercising their right to us allegedly taking Crimea – which is not Russian territory – away from Ukrainians.

It's amazing. It was 2015, the best of times, when Germany enjoyed economic advantages and a high standard of living at our expense. That is when they introduced refugee allowances in amounts that German pensioners now resent.

Dmitry Kiselev: What have the Americans done to Europe, to Germany? If things continue like this, what will become of the EU?

Sergey Lavrov: I don't see a bright future for the EU at the end of the rainbow (in the good sense of the word). In other senses, they have already determined their future.

Americans are very cynical people. They have developed what is sometimes referred to as an island mentality, like Britain. The bulk of the settlers who moved to America were British. They eradicated the native tribes and forced the survivors into reservations. This island mentality is reinforced by the fact that no one around them poses serious security threats, except for the threats they create themselves. They have a sense that things are fine back home overseas, and they can take advantage of uncertain situations. So, the plan is to create confusion and profit from it.

It started in Vietnam. They wanted that country to become a capitalist democracy instead of a communist state. Iraq and Libya followed suit. Everyone is aware of that. Serbia is on everyone's lips.

The same goes for Ukraine. They believed that Europe would protect US interests. Even Donald Trump said they should focus more on their own interests. During his presidency, the deep state behind the US government was telling Europe that even if the US keeps fewer troops there (but still in control, so you can't afford to be complacent), it will still ensure the dominance of the golden billion around the world. That is their mindset. Only a major domestic problem or upheaval can bring them back to reality. So far, they have been overflowing with a sense of infallibility and superiority, especially evident when the Democratic administration was in the White House and sought to dominate not only the world, but also their own country, going against their own constitution. This could lead to unwanted developments within the United States.

Dmitry Kiselev: Clearly, this alliance is causing Europe to decline. The Economist ranked Germany as the world's 27th largest economy. How did that happen? Germany's growth rates are lower than Russia's. It seems strange. What does the future hold for them if they continue on this path?

Sergey Lavrov: Do you remember when German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during her speech at the Forum 2000 in the Czech Republic four months ago: "No matter what my German voters think, I want to keep our promise to the people of Ukraine"? By that time, economic problems had kicked in and their standard of living was declining. The middle class was struggling, the economy was in the grips of deindustrialisation, and businesses were relocating to America. She did not even attempt to establish logical connections.

Dmitry Kiselev: Josep Borrell has recently cast himself as Europe's defence minister. He said that he was not only Europe's chief diplomat but also a European Minister of Defence.

What kind of people are in charge there? What can you say about them?

Sergey Lavrov: Frankly, it may sound undiplomatic, but they are a poor sight in terms of professionalism. We had worked with the teams of the European Commission and Josep Borrell's service for several years before they cut all ties with us after the beginning of the special military operation. To put it kindly, I was not impressed.

People in Europe, for example in Hungary, Slovakia and several other countries (the authorities in Hungary and Slovakia and a growing number of MPs and opposition politicians in other countries) wonder why the EU and the 27 member states, led by presidents and prime ministers elected by their people in national elections, are governed by the European Commission, which is not an elected body. The commission's members are appointed through behind-the-scenes bargaining between the leaders of EU countries. The argument that they are elected officials and hence have the authority to select members for the European Commission is inappropriate. According to their rules, everything is divided equally, like under communism. This is why each EU member state must have a European commissioner. This leads to bargaining, coalitions, compromises and deals, as the result of which some mediocre people get seats on the European Commission.

When the top post at that body is given to an authoritarian person like Ursula von der Leyen, who announces many decisions without consulting anyone, this leads to internal contradictions and protests. It also exacerbates the problems faced by the EU, which already has enough issues to deal with, first of all economic problems, caused by the Americans' policy and the sanctions against Russia, let alone all their infighting, which will only escalate.

Dmitry Kiselev: Our time is running out, but we have not yet talked about a crucial issue: the Gaza Strip. Israel has announced that the war will go on for months and that they are supposedly destroying Hamas, although the Americans have been flirting with them.

A year ago, you wrote an article for Izvestia about possible scenarios. What has happened as a result? Was the Hamas attack on Israel a false flag operation? How can we assess it? Some people even think that the destruction of Gaza is a special operation aimed at building a parallel Suez Canal from Eilat across the Negev Desert. The route is 300 kilometres long, which is not difficult to accomplish with modern technology and money. What is it? What is the essence of this geopolitical process?

Sergey Lavrov: There are many conspiracy theories.

The other day, our television and social media again reprinted a report posted in a Western media outlet by Western investigative journalists (I believe that Seymour Hersh posted it too), according to which intelligence services warned the Israeli authorities about plans for a major terrorist attack a year before October 7, 2023.

If this is true, I find it hard to believe that no preventive measures were taken, especially since I know that the Israeli army and security forces have the know-how and are always ready to launch preventive strikes.

This reminded me of another conspiracy theory, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, following which a war was launched in Afghanistan and the Greater Middle East project was initiated.

There were other less bloody conspiracy theories, like the Moon landing, which still has not been laid to rest, although many people should have been aware of the real events in all three cases. However, these issues remained unresolved. This is strange.

I do not want to assume that normal people would be willing to sacrifice hundreds of their own citizens to create a pretext for destroying a terrorist organisation they hate and want to eliminate or to gain some economic or logistical benefits.

You said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Hamas must be destroyed as a whole and as a military force. It sounds like demilitarisation. He also said that extremism must be eliminated in Gaza. It sounds like denazification. However, I do not understand the reaction of the previous Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Yair Lapid (he was foreign minister before becoming prime minister), to our special military operation. His reaction surprised me. He said that Russia had no right to use force against civilians or to annex Ukrainian territories.

This was unfair. We discussed this with him. I do not know what he thinks and how he describes the current developments, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not criticised Russia despite the numerous critical statements [about his actions] made around the world and the fact that he is in a serious predicament. He has had two telephone conversations with President Vladimir Putin (1, 2). Just like Egypt, Israel helped us evacuate our citizens who were held captive or wanted to leave Gaza.

We should be very careful about our shared history with Israel, particularly our history of fighting Nazism. This is the main element that unifies us in terms of history. It is a fundamental element of our genetic code, so to speak.

The Holocaust and the extermination of the multinational Soviet people are comparable, but the numbers are different: six million people killed during the Holocaust and over 20 million Soviet people were killed during World War II.

A year ago, during a news conference on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Israeli ambassador in Kiev did not say anything when he was asked about the glorification of Bandera, Shukhevich and other Nazis in Ukraine and the use of Nazi symbols. When asked about Israel's attitude towards this, he answered that it had not changed and added that Israelis still considered them to be Nazis and that this perspective would never change. However, he acknowledged that Ukraine had a complicated history, and said that he understands Ukrainians' connection to these individuals and political organisations. This is truly alarming.

Dmitry Kiselev: What are the key present-day international development trends?

Sergey Lavrov: The emerging multipolar world order is one such trend. Some prefer the term "polycentric world." There is nothing new about this concept since it was coined by Yevgeny Primakov when Russia, India and China formed the RIC group. It evolved into BRIC when Brazil joined the club, and became BRICS with the addition of South Africa. Today, this association is about to expand its ranks so that it will have 10 participants. Another 27 countries are on the waiting list and aspire to acquire partner status at the very least. After all, we cannot multiply the number of participants by five within such a short period. We will move gradually in our efforts to introduce the BRICS culture into global politics.

There was much debate about the multipolar world order during the preceding stages of our development. Many researchers and experts, including those from Russia, have argued that without a bipolar world order and its rigid and negative, yet real, stability, and without a unipolar world order, which tried but failed to replace the bipolar one after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the multipolar world resulting from the emergence of new centres of economic growth, military power and political influence would bring chaos while failing to create a viable structure. I think that these fears were unfounded.

The American-style globalisation project came apart, with the pandemic delivering the first blow by disrupting supply chains, followed by the anti-Russian campaign and sanctions which dismantled what used to be a single global economy. This paved the way for regionalisation, which is a natural process. We have the EAEU, the SCO and ASEAN. These three organisations have already established partnership ties which provide an outline for a continental cooperation framework across Eurasia. We are also seeking to discuss security matters on the CSTO, the SCO and the CIS agenda from an economic perspective. There is also Belt and Road Initiative and an agreement with the EAEU.

Other regions have the African Union and Africa's sub-regional structures. Latin America has CELAC, which unites all Latin American countries. There are sub-reginal structures there too, such as ALBA, formed by Venezuela, the Central American Integration System and MERCOSUR.

These are the structures which assume the task of developing their regions and seek to coordinate their external relations. Their development can also be seen as a desire to reduce their excessive dependence on the dollar. This is what the concept of a multipolar world means. It implies that not only and not so much countries but also associations of smaller, mid-size and even small nations constitute centres of gravity, even if Brazil, India, China and Russia will always remain independent actors,. This regional trend rhymes well with the expansion of BRICS, which provides a matrix connecting sub-regional and regional processes. This process will not end this year.

Dmitry Kiselev: The first trend is the emergence of a polycentric world. And dedollarisation is the second trend.

Sergey Lavrov: They go hand in hand.

Dmitry Kiselev: What about an indiscriminate arms race? Is this a trend? It is actually underway.

Sergey Lavrov: If you look at the Americans and their aspirations, the latest data from their defence budgets, as well as the preparations in and around the Taiwan Strait, you can see that they are not giving up on using force as a method for resolving the issues they have.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that they will promote dialogue with China and act from the position of strength in order to balance their rivalry. They are always talking about acting from the position of strength.

But since we mentioned Asia and the South China Sea, the Americans are doing everything possible to undermine dialogue between China and ASEAN and create new frameworks that they can control. This amounts to sticking their noses where they do not belong. China and the United States have been arranging meetings lately. I think that their military leaders had a meeting.

China continues to voice its concerns about what the Americans have been doing with Taiwan. Only recently, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that if the Americans accept the One China policy, supplying weapons to a state that does not exist – Taiwan – is unacceptable.

The United States also has a very interesting and cunning position: they accept the One China policy, while also focusing on maintaining the status quo. This explains it all. Their status quo is precisely what China refers to as the unacceptable way of treating Taiwan as an independent state. Our Western colleagues have always excelled in this deceitful language.

We always seek to speak the truth and be candid, which is of special importance today when everyone must know who is who, what everyone is worth and what our aspirations are. What we want is to comply with the core principle set forth by the UN Charter, which calls for respecting the sovereign equality of states.

Russia
Source: tass.com

The top Russian diplomat noted that the share of Global South and Global East countries in the overall world economy is growing


MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. The aggregate GDP of the BRICS countries after the accession of its new members in 2024 will significantly exceed that of the Group of Seven (G7) countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

"The total GDP of the BRICS in the new line-up will already significantly exceed that of the G7," Russia's top diplomat said.

Lavrov noted that the share of Global South and Global East countries in the overall world economy is growing. In particular, this is happening due to numerous mistakes and unacceptable steps by the United States and its allies.

"This trend will strengthen, including in connection with the expansion of the BRICS," Lavrov added.

As the Russian foreign minister noted, Moscow and New Delhi do not accept distortions of the principles of international law, and of the development of free markets and fair competition.

"Trust in the West has been greatly undermined, so now there are even greater reasons to rely on the role of the world majority in the development of the world economy, not to the detriment of anyone, but on the basis of mutual benefit," Lavrov said.

The BRICS group currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Following the BRICS summit on August 22-24 in Johannesburg, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the expansion of the group. On January 1, 2024, new members Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia will formally join BRICS. Argentina was also accepted for membership, but the new government of President Javier Milei, a BRICS critic, is currently reconsidering whether or not Buenos Aires should join the group. Russia will assume the rotating BRICS chairmanship on January 1, 2024.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Last year, the Russian diplomatic service pursued a foreign policy course determined by President Vladimir Putin in a situation of heightened confrontation with the collective West. The main goals were to provide political and diplomatic support for the special military operation and to expand cooperation with countries and associations that make up the Global Majority.

1. An important milestone in 2023 was the update of the doctrine underlying Russia's foreign policy: on March 31, the President of Russia approved a new version of the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. The document expressed a commitment to promote the formation of a more just and sustainable international system based on the principles of international law and cooperation between states.

2. Russia made significant efforts to develop relations with neighbouring countries, as well as the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

High-level multilateral events at the UN, BRICS, the G20, the APEC forum, and the East Asia Summits demonstrated these groups' strong interest in pursuing an independent foreign policy and their willingness to take Russia's interests into account.

3. Integration with Belarus has advanced significantly. The partner countries began working on an interstate treaty on security guarantees and the Union State security concept. The Guidelines for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State in 2024-2026 were agreed upon. The intergovernmental agreement on the mutual recognition of visas was ratified. A major joint achievement was the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

4. Amid geopolitical turbulence, Eurasian integration associations that include Russia have successfully demonstrated their resilience.

Under Russia's chairmanship, the Eurasian Economic Union adopted a declaration on the further development of economic processes within the EAEU until 2030 and 2045, titled the Eurasian Economic Path. The EAEU signed a free trade agreement with Iran, as well as a memorandum of cooperation with Myanmar.

The Collective Security Treaty Organisation member states, which share approaches to regional security in Eurasia, the situation in Afghanistan, and the prevention of an arms race in outer space, expressed their positions in joint statements by the countries' foreign ministers. A legal framework was established for the CSTO to participate in UN peacekeeping activities. Under the Belarusian chairmanship, the CSTO began discussing the Eurasian Security Architecture agenda at a high-level international conference in Minsk in October.

Interaction in the Commonwealth of Independent States was highly productive. At the CIS summit in Bishkek in October, the members adopted a statement on international relations in a multipolar world and signed an agreement on free trade in services and on investment activities. The CIS Human Rights Commission and the Commission of Ombudsmen for Children's Rights in the CIS member states commenced their work. The Treaty on the Establishment of the International Organisation for the Russian Language was signed. To expand the Commonwealth's external relations, observer and partner statuses were established.

5. The progress in relations with the Central Asian states was advanced by the 6th foreign ministers' meeting in the CA5+Russia format in Samarkand in April. In October, the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan launched Russian natural gas deliveries across Kazakhstan to consumers in Uzbekistan.

6. Russia contributed to the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation process based on the trilateral agreements of the leaders. Visas were abolished for short-term trips to Russia by Georgian citizens, and direct flights between our countries were resumed. The foreign ministers of the countries participating in the 3+3 Consultative Regional Platform met in Tehran in October. The meeting was a success and provided a promising mechanism for cooperation and maintaining stability in the South Caucasus.

7. Russian-Chinese relations reached an unprecedented level in 2023. After his re-election as President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping made his first foreign visit to Russia in March. President of Russia Vladimir Putin visited China to take part in the third Belt and Road International Forum in October. Bilateral trade again reached a record high of over $230 billion. The share of the rouble and the yuan in mutual transactions reached about 80 percent. The Russia-China tandem played a stabilising role on the world stage, making a significant contribution to the democratisation of the entire system of international relations.

8. Russia maintained an intensive political dialogue with India, including in the context of the country's chairmanship of the SCO and the G20, reinforcing the Russian-Indian special and privileged strategic partnership. The growth of trade, which exceeded $54 billion, revealed the progressive development of Moscow's cooperation with New Delhi.

9. President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in September brought Russian-North Korean relations to a new level.

10. Important joint steps were taken to expand Russian-Iranian relations. In particular, the parties signed an agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in May, and the foreign ministers signed a Declaration on the Ways and Means to Counter, Mitigate and Redress the Adverse Impacts of Unilateral Coercive Measures in December.

11. The launch of the mechanism of regular dialogue at the level of foreign ministers (Moscow, December) accelerated cooperation between the Caspian states.

12. Relations with Türkiye reached a strategic level in the field of peaceful nuclear energy: in particular, Russia began supplying nuclear fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

13. Russia gained a stronger foothold in the Middle East. Relations with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, primarily the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, acquired a new quality, including with regard to the stabilisation of the global oil market through OPEC+. There was progress in relations with the League of Arab States: Morocco hosted the 6th session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum of foreign ministers in December.

14. The second Russia-Africa Summit held in St Petersburg in July marked the culmination of collaborative efforts to significantly enhance ties in this promising area of Russia's foreign policy. The agreements reached at the highest level set the priorities for long-term cooperation with African countries and associations.

15. The expansion of traditional partnerships with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean was central to the agenda of the successful political dialogue with regional states at the highest and high levels. A significant milestone was the Russia-Latin America International Parliamentary Conference held in Moscow in October.

16. The Joint Statement of the ASEAN and Russian Foreign Ministers on the Occasion of the 5th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership reflected Russia's strong ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, China and Indonesia took place in Jakarta in July.

17. A pivotal moment in the development of BRICS was the decision made at the Johannesburg Summit in August to expand the association from January 1, 2024, by inviting Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia as new members.

18. The influence of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on global and Eurasian processes increased in 2023: Iran became a full member of the SCO, and the process for Belarus to become a member was initiated.

19. In its relations with unfriendly states, Russia pursued a principled policy aimed at creating favourable conditions for them to abandon their hostile policy. To achieve this, Russia took steps to debunk the concept of a "rules-based international order" promoted by the United States and the European Union. At the UN, the OSCE and other multilateral platforms, Russia advocated for the peaceful development of all states based on the principles of sovereign equality and indivisible security. Russia effectively thwarted plans for its international isolation while maintaining opportunities for dialogue and pragmatic cooperation with the West on the basis of equality and respect for each other's interests.

In light of the United States' openly anti-Russia policy and inability to negotiate, NATO and the EU's continued eastward expansion, and the creation of new threats to Russia's security, Russia suspended its participation in the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) in February. Russia also terminated its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) in November and withdrew the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in November. Russia withdrew from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in September in response to the Western countries' actions that effectively paralysed the Council's activities and a lack of confirmation from them that they were ready to transfer the chairmanship to Russia. In July, Russia also suspended its participation in the Black Sea initiative for the export of Ukrainian food products due to a lack of progress in the implementation of the UN-Russia memorandum on the normalisation of exports of Russian agricultural products and fertilisers.

20. An important milestone in the humanitarian sphere was the establishment of the International Russophile Movement, which is united by common sympathy for Russia and interest in Russian culture and language (March).

The Astronomical Observatories at Kazan Federal University were included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In November, Veliky Novgorod joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

The quota for foreign citizens to study at Russian universities with government grants was increased to 30,000 places. Additionally, 206,000 books and textbooks in Russian were donated to educational institutions in 23 countries.

A world conference on traditional values (November), five regional and more than 70 country conferences, and other events were held as part of cooperation with the movement of Russian compatriots.

Russia conducted comprehensive emergency operations to evacuate Russian nationals and citizens of other countries from Sudan in April and from the Gaza Strip in November and December. Furthermore, over 390 tonnes of Russian humanitarian aid were delivered to the Palestinians.

The system for issuing unified electronic visas for citizens of 55 countries to enter Russia was launched in August, and more than 120,000 people have used it in five months.

In July, Russia opened its Consulate General on the island of Phuket, Thailand. The Embassy of the Russian Federation opened in Burkina Faso in December, and the Russian Embassy in Libya reopened in June.

Egypt
Source: www.dailynewsegypt.com

In the year of its chairmanship in the BRICS association, the Russian Federation is set to uphold and expand the "BRICS People Choosing Life" programme. This initiative, comprising 12 projects spanning both humanitarian and business realms, will be a focal point of Russia's leadership within BRICS, as reported by TV BRICS.

The People's Friendship University of Russia, named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN), has already initiated efforts for the Russian phase of the "BRICS People Choosing Life" programme. The international socio-cultural endeavour, spanning from 2022 to 2028 and operating under the motto "from the ecology of mind and body to the ecology of the world," will be orchestrated by the Regional NGO "BRICS. World of Traditions" across member countries.

At the core of this programme is the drive to promote collaborative projects that unify the people of BRICS nations. It aims to educate children and youth about the moral legacies of distinguished figures from BRICS states, preserve and promote cultural and historical heritage, and foster the development of trade and economic relations among member countries.

RUDN recently hosted the unveiling of the projects, accompanied by a cultural and educational exhibition titled "Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi: a unique legacy." This exhibition showcased the profound correspondence between the two great thinkers on the idea of non-resistance to evil by evil.

The programme's second phase, slated for Russia's BRICS Chairmanship in 2024, will commemorate significant anniversaries, including the 195th year since Leo Tolstoy's birth, the 75th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's memory, the 150th anniversary of Nicholas Roerich's birth, and the centenaries of the Central Asian Expedition of Nicholas, Yuri, and Elena Roerich, as well as Afanasy Nikitin's memory. Additionally, it will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of trade and economic relations between Russia and India.

During Russia's chairmanship, the programme will witness the implementation of 12 humanitarian and business projects, reflecting a commitment to multifaceted cooperation spanning trade, economy, science, education, and shared values.

The inaugural phase of the programme unfolded in the Republic of India in December 2022, with New Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune hosting 12 cultural, educational, and business events. Over two thousand students and representatives from the business sector participated in these activities. Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Russia's Sherpa in BRICS, underscored the contemporary relevance of the ideologies espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy, as well as the enduring significance of initiatives like "BRICS People Choosing Life." He highlighted its dynamic nature, encompassing various areas of cooperation, from trade and the economy to science, education, and core values.

South Africa
Source: www.iol.co.za

South Africa's BRICS Ambassador has been added to the honours list of the Russian Federation and will receive the Order of Friendship from President Vladimir Putin when the honours are handed out next year.

South Africa's chairmanship of BRICS ends on December 31 with the baton passing onto Russia who will host the bloc's summit next year.

Russia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov announced the honour in a letter by presidential decree to Sooklal on December 21.

"It is a great honour and joy for me to congratulate you on being awarded the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation.

"This state decoration serves as an undeniable confirmation of the deep appreciation and gratitude of the Russian government, my minister, our BRICS team and myself for your dedication and outstanding contribution to the success of BRICS," Ryabkov wrote.

He described it as "wonderful news" that comes just before the New Year, "which will open a new page in the history of BRICS".

"Let me wish you many success in your future work and I look forward to seeing you in Moscow for the first Sherpas/Sous-Sherpas meeting."

Sooklal said he and South Africa were being recognised for his close working relationship with the Russian Federation as the two countries have strengthened relationships at all levels, including multilateral and bilateral relations.

"Working together we had a positive impact in shaping the direction in which BRICS grows. There is mutual understanding and co-operation in furthering a common aim," Sooklal said.

The Embassy of Russia in South Africa, on social media platform X, said Putin would award Sooklal for "his substantial contribution to strengthening the bilateral and multilateral co-operation with the Russian Federation, in particular BRICS".