B.R.I.C.S. Discussion

Cuba again followed the path of the USSR
https://vz.ru/world/2019/10/11/1002390.print.html

I guess they'll pay Russia with their oil & earnings from tourism.
It should be called BRIC2S- with China & Cuba.
On RF-PRC-SA exercises: https://riafan.ru/1229601-shoigu-napravil-zapadu-signal-poslav-korabli-vmf-rf-v-yuar?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fzen.yandex.com

Some interesting statistics here: https://asiatimes.com/2020/08/the-eurasian-century-has-already-begun/?mc_cid=4fcea32b9e&mc_eid=5455568640

BRICS (Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa) launches the process of expanding membership in the association’s New Development Bank, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Russia’s BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov announced on Tuesday.

https://tass.com/economy/1277533

Sizing up BRICS’ structure and accomplishments
According to the World Bank, BRICS countries account for approximately 30% of the Earth's territory and 42% of the world’s population

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. The 14th summit of the BRICS group scheduled for June 23, 2022, is underway. The organization is an informal international association of five rapidly developing countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The summit will be held by video link under China’s presidency. The quintet will focus on the promotion of global development, world economic problems, as well as ways of strengthening the role of the developing countries.

Creation and goals

The acronym BRICS is derived from the names of the association’s member countries in English. Before the accession of South Africa in 2011 the group was known as BRIC.

The first BRIC summit was in Yekaterinburg in June 2009. The association’s mission was then defined as the development of a consistent, active, pragmatic and open dialogue and cooperation among countries. Later, more principles of joint activity, such as non-bloc status and neutrality towards third parties were agreed upon.

BRICS does not have a secretariat or charter. The rotating presidency is held by the summit’s host country, which is responsible for coordinating all current activities (in recent years the member-states took turns as BRICS chairs according to the sequence of letters in the acronym).

Summits, ministerial meetings

Since the Yekaterinburg meeting, the bloc’s summits have been organized annually in one of the member countries (the last one, chaired by India, was held by videoconference on September 9, 2021). Since 2013, the presiding country, as a rule, has invited other states, close to it geographically and geopolitically, to participate in the event. Also, the BRICS leaders meet at international forums. In addition to summits, negotiations are held regularly at the level of foreign ministers, ministers of finance, health, education, science and agriculture, and secretaries of security councils. At the latest meeting of the quintet’s foreign ministers on May 19, 2022, China came up with the idea of launching a process of BRICS expansion, with the aim of increasing its membership and influence in the world.

Since 2015, BRICS has been holding civil, parliamentary and youth forums, as well as media summits. In all, more than 20 communication platforms operate within the BRICS framework. The agendas of these meetings cover areas such as energy efficiency, climate change, food security, poverty alleviation, sustainable development, and the activities of international financial institutions.

Business, economic and financial activities

To date, the association has established several business and financial institutions, such as the Alliance of Exchanges (2011), Business Council and the Council of Expert Centers (2013). In July 2014, the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB; headquartered in Shanghai) was founded. Its share capital stands at $100 billion. The NDB’s task is to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS states and developing countries. Since the beginning of its operations, the NDB has approved 78 projects for a total of $29.3 billion (on March 4, 2022, the NDB suspended new transactions in Russia "in light of the growing uncertainty and restrictions").

Since 2015, the summits have consistently approved a key five-year document in the field of economic cooperation - the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership. The latest one was approved in November 2020.

Currently, work is underway to transition BRICS countries to mutual settlements in national currencies and create a Bond Fund in national currencies. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the BRICS business forum on June 22, 2022, said that efforts were in progress on creating an international reserve currency based on a basket of currencies of the association’s member-countries. Some experts believe that such a currency may protect the BRICS countries from sanction risks associated with settlements in dollars and euros.
Other cooperation tracks

The BRICS Science Technology Innovation (STI) Steering Committee has been functioning since 2013. In September 2017, the BRICS Network University (established in 2015) began to operate. It incorporates about 60 universities of the association’s member-countries (including 12 in Russia, such as Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, and the Urals Federal University).

BRICS countries have been holding film festivals since September 2016, and festivals of theater schools since 2017. In August 2020, at Russia’s initiative the first meeting of sports ministers took place. A memorandum of cooperation among the sports ministries was approved. The document envisages the BRICS Games in the presiding country, exchanges of athletes and coaches, cooperation in sports, including mass sports, and sports recreation and leisure.

In 2020, against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia suggested considering the creation of an early warning system as a countermeasure against mass infections and biological threats. According to Russia’s Health Ministry 9,500 students from India, 450 from China, 270 from South Africa, and 240 from Brazil are studying at Russia’s medical organizations at the moment.

The BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy was approved at the 12th Summit on November 17, 2020.

In August 2021, the heads of the BRICS space agencies signed an agreement to exchange Earth remote sensing data.

Statistics

According to the World Bank, BRICS countries account for approximately 30% of the Earth's territory and 42% of the world’s population. In 2020 (later data not published), the total GDP of BRICS countries amounted to 25% of the global one ($21 trillion), and their share in world trade was close to 20% ($6.7 trillion).


https://tass.com/world/1470553?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=t.co&utm_referrer=t.co

Key points of 14th BRICS Summit Beijing declaration

The leaders underscored their adherence to sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and advocated a world without nuclear weapons


MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. BRICS states support the talks between Moscow and Kiev, as well as UN and Red Cross efforts in Ukraine, says the 14th BRICS Summit Beijing Declaration.

The leaders underscored their adherence to sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, advocated a world without nuclear weapons and called on developed countries to exercise "responsible economic policies, while managing policy spillovers."

Here are the key points of the document.

Events in Ukraine

"We have discussed the situation in Ukraine and recall our national positions as expressed at the appropriate fora, namely the UNSC and UNGA. We support talks between Russia and Ukraine," the declaration reads.

The association voiced its support to the efforts of the UN and its Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross on provision of humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

Global politics

BRICS states reaffirmed its "respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States, stress our commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences and disputes" and its "strong commitment to nuclear disarmament."

The leaders voiced their support to "a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan," and emphasized the respect for its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, national unity and non-interference in its internal affairs," stressing that its territory must not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan to finance terrorist acts."

BRICS hopes for success of talks on restoration of the Iran Nuclear Deal and support bilateral and multilateral talks for resolution "of all issues pertaining to the Korean Peninsula, including its complete denuclearization."

The association continues to advocate a "comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council," in order to increase the representation of the developing countries so that it can adequately respond to global challenges. It also calls to preserve and reinforce the arms control system.

Global economy

"Unbalanced recovery" after the pandemic is " aggravating inequality across the world," the global growth momentum has weakened, and the economic prospects have declined, the declaration says.

"We urge major developed countries to adopt responsible economic policies, while managing policy spillovers, to avoid severe impacts on developing countries," BRICS leaders said, urging "multilateral financial institutions and international organizations to play a constructive role in building global consensus on economic policies and preventing systemic risks of economic disruption and financial fragmentation."

The five leaders underscored that the G20 "shall remain intact and respond to current global challenges."

Food security

The leaders pointed out that BRICS states produce about one third of all food in the world and noted the "strategic importance" of agriculture inputs, including, inter alia, fertilizers, on ensuring global food security. The document does not mention the food crisis issue directly.

Cooperation on currencies

The five leaders acknowledged "the importance of strengthening the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) mechanism, which contributes to strengthening the global financial safety net and complements existing international monetary and financial arrangements." They also welcomed the "central banks’ further cooperation on the payments track."

Climate and sustainable development

Developed countries have "historical responsibilities for global climate change, and should take the lead in scaling up mitigation actions," the declaration says.

BRICS opposed "green" trade barriers: "all measures taken to tackle climate change and bio-diversity loss must be designed, adopted and implemented in full conformity with the WTO agreements and must not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade and must not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade."

Combating the pandemic

The leaders emphasized the need for creation of the complex early warning system for epidemic risks within the association, and underscored that the member states must be better prepared for future healthcare emergencies.

The association also advocated "equitable distribution of vaccines" and called on international agencies and charities to purchase vaccines and boosters "from manufacturers in developing countries, including in Africa, to ensure that the manufacturing capabilities being developed are retained.".

https://tass.com/world/1470585

It is pretty impressive the BRICS even did an announcement with regards to worldwide security concerns. It always struck me as an economical organization at heart. But it is true that India and Brazil have wanted UN Security Council membership for a really long time. So I guess this is one chance they have to voice their opinion.

The BRICS nations need to make their own alternative currency exchange mechanism and develop their own independent semiconductors sector. This has been talked by them at least since a decade ago. But so far zilch. I can tell you that Brazil and India take certain strategic sectors really seriously. They have steep tariffs on electronics imports in an attempt to stimulate the local industry. But so far this has been to little avail as they remain stuck with local assembly of electronics, and do little design of their own. This is one reason why both are stuck in middle-income economy status.

lancelot wrote:It is pretty impressive the BRICS even did an announcement with regards to worldwide security concerns. It always struck me as an economical organization at heart. But it is true that India and Brazil have wanted UN Security Council membership for a really long time. So I guess this is one chance they have to voice their opinion.

The BRICS nations need to make their own alternative currency exchange mechanism and develop their own independent semiconductors sector. This has been talked by them at least since a decade ago. But so far zilch. I can tell you that Brazil and India take certain strategic sectors really seriously. They have steep tariffs on electronics imports in an attempt to stimulate the local industry. But so far this has been to little avail as they remain stuck with local assembly of electronics, and do little design of their own. This is one reason why both are stuck in middle-income economy status.

That would be good except 1 major hurdle is between China and India.

BRICS is about everyone working together or in groups to help each other... not to gang up on third parties or groups outside the group.

Hopfully India will see the US trying to sidle up to them for the danger it represents... they only want to create conflict with China and damage BRICS and the Chinese silk routes to the EU which the US does not benefit from.

US demands that China and India denounce Russia in the Ukraine are amusing in that respect.

Nah, the lesson for India and the rest of the world that they need to learn is that the people in control of the US... and that is both sides... democrats and republicans, don't give a shit about their own people let alone people from other countries and will screw anyone to make a little extra money...

They are pushing Europe in to war with the express purpose of weakening Russia at a time when they are getting rather stronger and they know full well that more expensive energy is going to damage all of Europe but Europe is their economic competitor with the rest of the world anyway so they dont care... they will even dress it up to look like the US is helping europe against big bad Russia, when all the steps that created this conflict were taken by them.

They pretend to be best allies with Europe, which is a large component of what is called the west, but they will throw them under the bus to sell more gas and damage both the EU and Russia because they are both rivals to US rule.

Now the US has decided China is a threat and wants to use India the same way it is using Europe.

Europe is a big boy and walked into this shit with their eyes open and the knew what was happening and didn't care for what ever reasons... I could care less that Europe is going to be more seriously damaged than Russia because other customers can be found that might even pay them slightly more than the tiny amount they were charging the west... but the west still wanted it cheaper.

India on the other hand should take all steps to avoid getting involved in a war with China that the US wants to happen to damage China... they care even less for India than they do for Europe.

As members here mention... divide and conquer.... but Russia does not want to conquer... one man alone could not build the bridge to the Crimea... it takes cooperation and team work and work sharing to do anything really significant... the opposite of divide.

The future of the world is either the west... you do everything to support the criminal oligarchy of the 1% of the US who control things, or you go for BRICS and help other countries and work together to make quality of life improve and deal with issues like famine and poverty and cure cancer and diseases instead of treating them with cheap to make but expensive to buy drugs that some western company makes a fortune on.

Like Kissinger said, "To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal."

GarryB wrote:Hopefully India will see the US trying to sidle up to them for the danger it represents... they only want to create conflict with China

India was seeing this till 2020, that is before China decided to invade and occupy Indian territory.

Sujoy wrote:India was seeing this till 2020, that is before China decided to invade and occupy Indian territory.

You guys should just cut a deal and settle the border. Do you really need to fuss about who owns a specific mile of inhospitable mountain? And the other contested land, on the west, it is a frickin desert. Why bother.

Russia settled its border with China in the 1990s and it was the best thing ever. Bickering about if the border is where the river bed used to be or it where it is today, or if an island in the middle of said river belongs to one side or the other. What a frickin waste of time.

lancelot wrote:You guys should just cut a deal and settle the border. Do you really need to fuss about who owns a specific mile of inhospitable mountain? And the other contested land, on the west, it is a frickin desert. Why bother.

China never had any border with India. It established it in 1949 by virtue of taking over Tibet by force. Now they are claiming that areas south of Tibet also belongs to China. This is how they are expanding their territory.

Most of China is also an inhospitable desert. That doesn't mean they will give up their territory to other countries.

To me it sounds more like India is insisting on claiming rights to a piece of land that is more in their mythology than in their history. But whatever.