Today’s BRICS+ Discussions – by Karl Sanchez

Meeting with representatives of the BRICS countries in charge of security issues.

Today Russia’s #1 BRICS Sherpa Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov answered questions posed by New Eastern Outlook about BRICS activities he’s been intimately involved with where he wasn’t as cryptic as his previous interview. Meanwhile, President Putin went to St. Petersburg to meet with numerous leaders on the sidelines prior to the scheduled meeting with the security chiefs from BRICS nations. Further information on Russia’s 2024 BRICS Presidency can be found here at its website. Putin also participated in several other events, one of which was his address at the Plenary session of the Forum of United Cultures. Several other events will be reported in a separate article. First, we’ll read Ryabkov’s interview, then the BRICS meeting we’re allowed to know about, and then Putin’s address:

Question: In August last year, BRICS doubled, which is unprecedented in world practice. How does the integration of new members work?

Ryabkov: The decision taken at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in 2023 can be called historic, without exaggeration. From January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia joined the BRICS.

Each of the new participants has a rich history and culture, great economic potential, and plays a significant role not only in its region, but also in the international arena. They all share the fundamental values of BRICS, including the spirit of solidarity, equality, mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness and consensus. In this sense, their involvement in the association undoubtedly increases the profile of BRICS in world affairs and its ability to make a decisive contribution to building a more democratic and fair system of international relations that meets the interests of the world majority.

Ensuring the consolidation of partnership in the expanded association, the organic integration of new members into the entire architecture of the BRICS strategic partnership is one of the priorities of our chairmanship of the association this year, and we have made significant progress on this path. From the first months of their membership, the “recruits” have been actively involved in the work, demonstrate a constructive focus on deepening practical cooperation, and offer their very interesting initiatives.

Question: At the first meeting of BRICS Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas of the year of Russia’s presidency, you said that “BRICS expansion will help build a new just world order.” How would you characterise the reaction of the “collective West” to this process?

Ryabkov: The world is consistently and irreversibly moving towards multipolarity. The world order built on the hegemony of the Western minority is gradually being replaced by a system with many poles and civilizational platforms. Multilateral structures are coming to the fore, interaction in which is based on the principles of equality, openness and mutual respect, and decisions are made on the basis of comprehensive discussion on the basis of consensus.

And BRICS is just one of them. The association plays the role of an important institution of multilateral cooperation, which does not seek to weaken anyone or take someone’s place, but is aimed at formulating, creating and maintaining favorable conditions for progressive growth, building up the socio-economic, innovative and human potential of its participants, supporting in solving the pressing problems of developing countries and emerging markets, as well as increasing their representation in the global governance system.

Naturally, the activities of BRICS, which embodies a fairer approach to the decision-making process on issues on the global agenda, are identified by the countries of the “collective West” with the new polycentric world order and causes them hostility and rejection. But our absolute priority is to develop sustainable ties with the world’s majority states, which are showing increasing interest in deepening cooperation with BRICS.

Question: At the moment, more than 30 countries have already expressed their desire to join the association. At the Johannesburg summit, the task was set to develop a category of partner states and draw up an indicative list. Have the main criteria to be met by partner countries already been selected?

Ryabkov: Following last year’s meeting of BRICS leaders in South Africa, foreign ministers were instructed to formulate modalities for a new category of “partner states” and draw up a list of potential candidates. This work is at the final stage. We hope that we will be able to achieve a substantive result by the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan in October.

Of course, we consider like-minded people who are committed to the values of BRICS as candidates for obtaining this status, including promoting the formation of a democratic multipolar world, strengthening global security and stability, respecting the principles of the UN Charter and international law, rejecting unilateral coercive measures, reforming the multilateral architecture of global governance so that the voice of the Global South and East sounds more weighty and is heard.

Question: If the current focus is on the category of partner countries, does this mean that there are no plans to expand BRICS in the near future? To what extent is it possible to expand the association?

Ryabkov: Given the twofold expansion of BRICS this year, it is probably a little premature to talk about a new wave. We cannot forget about the need to maintain the current level of practical cooperation in the BRICS format and to ensure the high quality of practical results from the mechanisms that have already been established. However, we cannot ignore the growing interest of the countries of the Global South and East in strengthening contacts with the BRICS. At the moment, more than thirty states have already expressed such a desire in one form or another. The doors of the association remain open to all those who are interested in a trusting and equal dialogue and share the values of BRICS.

As the country chairing the association this year, we are trying to build a balance between expansion and efficiency. In addition to working on the category of partner countries, we involve like-minded people in interaction in various BRICS formats, where possible and in demand. Of course, we act in close contact and consultation with our partners in the association.

Since the beginning of the year, we have already held a number of meetings with the invitation of like-minded countries. In this context, I would like to note the meeting of foreign ministers (Nizhny Novgorod, June 10-11), the BRICS Inter-Party Forum (Vladivostok, June 18-19), the Parliamentary Forum (St Petersburg, July 11-12), and the International Municipal Forum (Moscow, August 27-28). Athletes from 82 countries took part in the BRICS Games held in Kazan on June 12-23.

An extended session with the participation of partners from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Eurasian space is scheduled at the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 22-24.

Question: The share of the BRICS countries in global GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) increased by 0.6 percentage points (p.p.) in 2023. The figures reached a record 35.7%. At the same time, the economy of the G7 countries lost 0.4 percentage points over the past year and reached 29%. How do you think these figures will change this year?

Ryabkov: The contribution of BRICS to the world economy, as you noted, is significant. With the expansion of the association this year, its share in world GDP, of course, has become even more significant.

In the new, expanded configuration, BRICS occupies over 30% of the world’s land area and has 45% of the world’s population (3.6 billion people). If we turn to IMF statistics, by the end of 2024, the share of the BRICS countries in world GDP in PPP terms will exceed 36%, the growth rate will be 4.6%, which is almost 1.4 percentage points higher than the world average (3.2%), not to mention the G7 countries (1.7%). The “ten” states provide over 40% of the total volume of oil production, about a quarter of the world’s exports of goods.

The resource, innovative, technological and simply human potential of the BRICS countries is a good foundation for strengthening the position of the BRICS members in the global economy and the basis for increasing their role in the global governance system. This reflects the general trend of shifting business activity towards new centers of economic influence that are emerging in Asia, Africa, Latin America and other regions of the world.

Question: It is somewhat premature to talk about a single BRICS currency today. The main focus of the member countries should now be on creating conditions for the widespread use of national currencies in mutual settlements. In addition, the BRICS countries are working on the creation of alternative mechanisms for the transfer of financial information. What specific steps are being taken in this direction?

Ryabkov: De-dollarisation is becoming an objective global trend. Not only the BRICS countries, but also a number of other states are seeking to reduce dependence on the US dollar, which is explained by the growing distrust of the reliability of the Western financial system, which is increasingly used by Washington and its European satellites as an instrument of blackmail and imposition of political will.

The creation of an independent payment and settlement infrastructure resistant to sanctions pressure is a key element in strengthening the autonomy and financial sovereignty of the BRICS countries. In this regard, at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, the ministers of finance and the governors of the central banks of the BRICS countries were instructed to work out the use of national currencies, payment instruments and platforms in mutual trade operations. The relevant agencies are actively engaged in the issue of linking the financial markets of the BRICS countries and introducing new mutual settlement schemes.

In particular, a draft multilateral platform for cross-border payments for equal access of all countries of the association to existing financial instruments with a high level of protection of transmitted financial messages and minimal costs, including the use of innovative tools, was submitted to partners for consideration.

Question: The October BRICS summit will attract the attention of the whole world. Which countries received an invitation to the summit? Should we expect fateful decisions to be made?

Ryabkov: We have invited the leaders of more than three dozen countries – the leaders of the BRICS countries, CIS partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as the heads of the secretariats of regional and international integration organisations (including, of course, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). I will not mention specific countries. For obvious reasons, it is the prerogative of the Presidential Executive Office to talk about the specifics of a summit-level event in our practice.

Any BRICS summit is a certain milestone in the development of the unification and interaction of the entire Global South and East, raising its voice in the system of global governance, which in itself is an important contribution to the formation of a multipolar world order. We are not chasing sensations, we are focused on practical results. We are painstakingly working to strengthen and deepen our strategic partnership in all areas – in politics and security, the economy and finance, and the humanitarian dimension – as well as to find solutions to current issues on the international agenda. (My Emphasis)

The interviewer helped greatly by asking answerable questions. A great many people are involved in making BRICS+ function and Ryabkov manages Russia’s group, although sous-sherpas are from many different ministries of Russia’s government. In his address to the security ministers, Putin will further expand on BRICS+ activities to-date. Some speculate that BRICS will replace the UN; I don’t share that expectation. Rather, I see BRICS (and others) as an organization capable of bolstering the UN System by generating the tighter solidarity needed to overcome the Age of Plunder and usher in the Age of Cooperation.

Now we move on to Putin’s address to those attending the BRICS Security Ministers Meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues and friends,

I welcome you all to St. Petersburg. Thank you for being here in the Northern Capital of Russia. Let me remind you that it was here, in St. Petersburg, in these halls that the creation of BRICS was initiated.

Then the leaders of three countries – India, Russia, and China-met, and we agreed to organize regular meetings at the highest level, as well as in some other areas. This is how the RIC – Russia, India, and China association was born, and then all this was developed accordingly. Today I have the privilege and pleasure to welcome all the participants of the meeting of high representatives of the BRICS countries responsible for security issues.

I know that yesterday you worked actively and productively, discussed topical aspects of the development of the situation in the world, issues of global and regional stability.

This is the 14th meeting held in such a format within the BRICS, but this time it was attended by delegations of new states that have joined our association as full members since January 1.

Moreover, a meeting was held with the participation of colleagues from countries that are not yet part of the BRICS, but sincerely seek to work more closely with our association. This was an initiative of Russia, and we are glad that it received your support.

I would like to note that the meeting of high representatives is one of the important stages of preparation for the BRICS and BRICS Plus/Outreach summit, which will be held on October 22-24 in Kazan, Russia.

I would like to take this opportunity to convey to the leaders of your countries that we are waiting for them at the summit, where they are expected to discuss in detail the prospects for further building up the comprehensive partnership of the BRICS member countries, as well as approve a package of agreements on various sectors and areas of cooperation.

As the current BRICS Chairman, Russia has taken a very responsible approach to organizing joint activities within the framework of the association this year.

Our chairmanship has been entrusted with a special mission – to do everything possible to promote the fastest and most organic integration of new member countries into all the Brics mechanisms. In addition, we could not ignore the growing interest in BRICS on the part of many States. To date, more than three dozen countries, more precisely 34 states, have already expressed their desire to join the activities of our association in one form or another.

Therefore, an active discussion was held with all BRICS participants on the modalities of a new category – partner states, which are to be approved in Kazan. It is also intended to consider the range of possible candidates for this status.

I would like to emphasize that the program of the Russian presidency is very comprehensive and diverse. It includes more than 200 events aimed at promoting partnership in all key areas: politics and security, economy and finance, cultural and humanitarian ties.

To date, the chairmanship’s plan has been fulfilled by more than 70 percent, about 150 events, meetings, industry forums have been held, and most expert and ministerial meetings have been held. Among them, I would like to highlight BRICS parliamentary and interparliamentary forums, meetings of ministers of education, sports, heads of prosecutor’s services, chairmen of supreme courts and supreme audit institutions. All of them were held in a business partner spirit.

During the Russian presidential “watch”, a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers was held, as well as an extended session within its framework with the participation of states of the Global South and East. It was in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod in June.

Another meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers is scheduled for late September in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

During the Russian Energy Week, a regular meeting of BRICS energy ministers will be held in Moscow on September 26-28.

The Russian presidency has initiated new areas of cooperation, including a meeting of transport ministers, heads of geological surveys, and a BRICS forum on nuclear medicine.

BRICS civic and academic forums, Friendship Sports Games, as well as thematic festivals and exhibitions in different cities of Russia had a great resonance on the cultural and humanitarian track. By the way, these days the X International Cultural Forum is being held here in St. Petersburg, where a meeting of BRICS culture ministers has already taken place.

Of course, the Russian presidency pays the closest attention to issues that fall within your competence, dear friends, as high representatives on security issues. At the same time, we build on the BRICS ‘ truly solid experience of cooperation in responding to the threats of terrorism and extremism, illicit arms and drug trafficking, transnational crime and illegal migration.

Among the concrete results of the BRICS countries’ joint work, I would like to mention the creation of a special electronic registry for exchanging data on computer attacks and incidents. The decision to establish a BRICS council on the financing of terrorism and money laundering is being finalized. In July, the ninth plenary session of the working group on counterterrorism was held in Moscow with good results.

As part of the anti-corruption work of the BRICS group, the Russian side proposed to approve the common approaches of the BRICS countries to combating bribery and returning assets and proceeds from illegal criminal activities.

The BRICS countries’ cooperation in combating drug crime has received an additional boost. During the last meeting of the anti-drug working group in May, agreements were reached on cooperation in preventing the use of information technologies and virtual payment systems in drug trafficking.

This is briefly what I would like to say when starting our conversation. I hope for your active response, dear colleagues.

I give the floor to Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoigu. You are welcome. (My Emphasis)

As you read, much work’s been done to get the expanded BRICS+ coordination moving. There’s a lot of closeness with the SCO in many of the above areas. And as with most multilateral global organizations, little is published about their activities and what they accomplished, which is why we must rely on those organizations’s websites. I’m certain someone could form a substack to report on BRICS events since they’re so many and that number will grow along with BRICS’s membership.

At the plenary session of the X St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures.

The Forum lasts two more days and probably has many sessions based on this year’s theme: “Culture of the XXI century: sovereignty or globalism?” There’s even an English version of its website. Just looking over the scheduled events shows the impressive nature of this event and why people attend. Putin’s welcoming speech is another that makes me wonder how much input he gives to his speech writers, or if he devises a draft and they do the rest. Whichever it is, here’s the result:

Vladimir Putin: Dear forum participants, Ladies and gentlemen, Friends!

I am glad to welcome you to St. Petersburg, Russia.

This is the tenth time that our Northern capital has hosted cultural ambassadors from all over the world. Each such meeting, like the culture itself, reflects the spirit of the times, raises the most important, acute, and significant issues.

The Forum of United Cultures is one of the most meaningful responses to the complex challenges that countries and peoples face today. Its very name implies recognition of the world’s civilizational diversity, the natural right of people to identity, respect for traditional values and religions, and, of course, the unconditional equality of States in shaping the world’s cultural agenda.

These approaches and principles were set out in the Declaration adopted at the forum last year. Their relevance in our time is higher than ever.

The importance of humanism and dialogue, mutual respect and trust in the world is shared by the world majority, but, unfortunately, it is under constant pressure and threat of erosion, primarily due to the unprecedented politicization of the cultural sphere, turning it into a weapon of geopolitical intrigues, because of constant attempts to push to the sidelines of life, to belittle the importance of national value systems – everything that does not coincide with the agenda promoted by the so-called globalist elites and the ruling circles of some states.

We in Russia have decided on the main values for us, and we have fixed them in the Basic Law of the country, in the Constitution. We protect these values and all those who share them, who, like us, consider the right of people to speak their native language and keep the faith of their fathers sacred, to live in harmony with nature, according to its natural laws.

The result of these efforts, without any exaggeration, will determine both the future of the world order and the prospects of culture. We are convinced that it must and can exist without gross interference, without the so-called culture of cancellation, that is, the cancellation of the culture itself.

No wonder diplomacy is called an art. To master it, you need more than just knowledge and talent. Diplomacy is also a culture, a culture of actions, emotions, and speech. It gives you an understanding of what you can and can’t say and do to avoid irreparable consequences.

Culture has always been a safety net for the world. In a number of countries, it seems to have burned out. Many high-ranking modern politicians have lost their moral boundaries and violated taboos that persisted even during the most intense moments of the Cold War. In countries where such elites rule, citizens gradually take for granted first xenophobia, and then extreme forms of discrimination, persecution on national, ethnic, or religious grounds.

We all know how quickly the dehumanization of the ruling regimes occurs in such a situation and what consequences it leads to for specific families and people of all ages. We can see that.

That is why I recently signed a Decree of the President of Russia on providing humanitarian support to people who share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. We don’t fight against any other values-we support our own. This, by the way, is the difference in approaches between us and our opponents.

And this decision was made in response to a growing stream of appeals from countries where people are essentially deprived of their freedom of choice. We are mainly talking about families with children, against whom local authorities impose perverse ethical attitudes.

There are also many appeals from cultural figures who, by the way, do not want to fit their creativity into the Procrustean bed of quotas and criteria, to create with an eye to compliance with neoliberal standards that are alien to them.

These standards are actively replicated by some media outlets, forming the so-called mainstream. If the author is interested in making his work appear on the stage or screen, or be published, he is obliged to follow this mainstream. And if in these works or even in the private statements of a writer, director, or actor there is a glimpse of dissent, doubt, ostracism and cancellation are waiting for him.

Moreover, we are increasingly seeing how the value agenda promoted by Western elites ignores, and sometimes deliberately insults, global religions and cultural traditions of entire regions of the world. I am sure that most countries and peoples do not like such approaches, of course. They see the future of culture in mutual respect and trust, in equal international cooperation in this area.

Once again hosting the forum, and at a difficult time for us, we firmly believe in the vital need for a dialogue of cultures. Your voice, dear friends, should definitely be heard.

Obsessive propaganda is powerless in the face of true art. Those who produce such art feel the nerve of the epoch and the needs of society keenly, they can distinguish between true and false values, understand who stands for peace, prosperity and friendship of peoples with their hearts, and who hides greed, superiority, destructive intentions and their exclusivity behind the right words.

Your creative, scientific, and educational activities have enormous potential for peacemaking and countering discord. It preserves the bonds between people and is able to heal the wounds caused by conflicts and wars. Therefore, it is important that you have the opportunity to communicate, exchange ideas and implement joint projects.

Russia is one of the most multinational countries in the world, and we are sincerely happy to provide such a platform for you, including as part of our forum today.

We know that the key to the development of cultures is constant interaction and mutual enrichment. We know what a powerful creative force lies in the unity of different cultures and traditions. This unity is the source of our national identity, such fundamental values of our people as mutual assistance, justice, mercy, historical memory and continuity of generations, a strong family, patriotism and citizenship.

Initially, Russia – I am now addressing a foreign audience-was formed as a multinational state. And this has certainly affected our traditions. This is the foundation of both our common identity and our spiritual strength.

We attach great importance to the development of culture. The infrastructure of museums, theaters, clubs, and libraries is constantly being updated. Reviving churches. Embankments, parks, squares, and public spaces are being reconstructed. All this is not only a humanitarian component, but also an important factor in the development of all our regions.

I recently visited Tuva to see how the local religious community is developing there. We are building hundreds, maybe even thousands of mosques – absolutely new ones, temples, synagogues. We have all this on the march, everything is actively developing. Of course, neither in tsarist Russia, nor in Soviet Russia, of course, this was not the case.

We are doing a lot to protect cultural heritage sites. We plan to adopt a long-term program here, implement it not only at the expense of the budget, but also with the involvement of patrons. There is such an experience, and we will develop it. We understand how important it is to restore old manors and churches. This is the visible embodiment of our centuries-old history and national identity.

Humanitarian ties, cooperation in the arts and education, and youth exchanges are among the priorities of Russia’s BRICS presidency. This organization is a prototype of a multilateral world, where the principles of mutual respect, independent choice of the path of development and ensuring in practice the key principle of the UN Charter—the sovereign equality of all states–prevail.

This year, Russia is also chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States. An unprecedented number of projects are being implemented in both the CIS and BRICS countries. Meetings in the formats of these organizations are also included in the business program of your forum.

Yesterday, for example, as far as I know, there was a meeting of the Ministers of culture of the countries participating in the forum. I am glad to welcome you to this Hall, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for your contribution to the expansion of the intercultural dialogue, for your efforts to fill it with bright, creative content and bright initiatives.

I believe that in general, the time has come to form a new common international infrastructure of national cultures. In today’s world, success is achieved in a society where people are primarily motivated, culturally inspired, and where they can build on a solid foundation of their values, their history, and their traditions.

Dear friends! Colleagues!

Last year, we actively and in sufficient detail discussed many issues that are of interest to all those gathered. I hope you will understand: unfortunately, I will not be able to do this right now, but I am sure that everything that happened during the forum at the venues organized by the participants was extremely interesting and useful.

We are always glad to see you in Russia-not only at this forum, but also at a large number of events that Russia organizes in a number of areas related to our culture and to the culture of the world, of which, of course, the culture of our country is also a part.

Thank you for your attention and wish you all the best.

Thank you very much. (My Emphasis)

Based on Putin’s remarks we can see why Wetsern attempts at diplomacy fall short. Other insights into Russianness were also provided. IMO, modern Russia believes that culture is for everyone, but I also think that was true in the latter part of the 19th Century and also during the Soviet period as there are many Houses of Culture still standing from those periods. And what other nations have such houses? Culture is one aspect of life that shouldn’t be regulated by Class—the poor can know and be cultured as well as the rich. Is a monoculture a culture? Isn’t culture by definition diverse? And isn’t Cancel Culture just another manifestation of Nazism—another Monoculture? Here’s one definition: “Culture is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.” Were the people called Proles in 1984 a monoculture since they were programmed to be human automatons? It does seem that’s what the Globalists want to produce. Can a society exist without culture? IMO, culture is a prerequisite for society. And in closing, here’s something to consider that perhaps describes Western elites:

Overall, “Culture of Death” critically examines the detrimental effects of a society that promotes destructive behaviors and prevents individuals from finding true fulfillment and self-worth. It highlights the struggle to resist societal pressures and maintain one’s sanity in the face of a culture that thrives on negative influences.

FYI—“Culture of Death” is a song by a group called Impending Doom and begs the question what sort of culture would motivate musicians to name themselves Impending Doom and write such a song? After reading the lyrics at the link, they’re performing the chore Putin expressed about art penetrating propaganda in his speech. Perhaps, one can see the genius within much Heavy Metal when assessed in that manner.

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