Vladimir
Putin’s article BRICS: Towards New Horizons of Strategic Partnership was
published ahead of the BRICS Summit, which will be held
in Xiamen, China, on September 4 and 5.
September
1, 2017
01:00
The 9th
BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen, China, on September 4
and 5. I consider it important in this regard to present
Russia’s approaches to cooperation within the framework of this
large and respected association and to share my views
on the future of our further cooperation.
I would
like to begin by expressing our appreciation of China’s
significant contribution as this year’s chair
of the organisation, which has allowed the BRICS countries
as a group to move forward in all the key areas
of our partnership, including politics, the economy and culture.
Moreover, the group of five has greatly strengthened its global
standing.
It is
important that our group’s activities are based on the principles
of equality, respect for one another’s opinions and consensus.
Within BRICS, nothing is ever forced on anyone. When the approaches
of its members do not coincide, we work patiently and carefully
to coordinate them. This open and trust-based atmosphere is conducive
to the successful implementation of our tasks.
Russia
highly values the multifaceted cooperation that has developed within
BRICS. Our countries’ constructive cooperation on the international
arena is aimed at creating a fair multipolar world and equal
development conditions for all.
Russia
stands for closer coordination of the BRICS countries’ foreign
policies, primarily at the UN and G20, as well
as other international organisations. It is clear that only
the combined efforts of all countries can help bring about global
stability and find solutions to many acute conflicts, including those
in the Middle East. I would like to say that it was largely
thanks to the efforts of Russia and other concerned
countries that conditions have been created to improve the situation
in Syria. We have delivered a powerful blow
to the terrorists and laid the groundwork
for launching the movement towards a political settlement
and the return of the Syrian people to peace.
However,
the fight against terrorists in Syria and other countries
and regions must continue. Russia calls for going over from debates
to the practical creation of a broad counterterrorism front
based on international law and led by the UN. Naturally, we
highly appreciate the support and assistance of our BRICS
partners in this respect.
I have
to say a few words about the situation on the Korean
Peninsula, where tensions have grown recently and the situation is
balancing on the brink of a large-scale conflict. Russia
believes that the policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang
to stop its nuclear missile programme is misguided and futile.
The region’s problems should only be settled through a direct
dialogue of all the parties concerned without any preconditions.
Provocations, pressure and militarist and insulting rhetoric are
a dead-end road.
Russia
and China have created a roadmap for a settlement
on the Korean Peninsula that is designed to promote
the gradual easing of tensions and the creation
of a mechanism for lasting peace and security.
Russia
also calls for promoting the interaction of the BRICS
countries in the area of global information security. We propose
joining our efforts to create a legal basis for cooperation
and subsequently to draft and adopt universal rules
of responsible behaviour of states in this sphere. A major
step towards this goal would be the signing
of an intergovernmental BRICS agreement on international
information security.
I would
like to point out that on Russia’s initiative a BRICS Strategy
for Economic Partnership was adopted at the Ufa Summit
in 2015 and is being successfully implemented. We hope to be
able to discuss new large-scale cooperation tasks in trade
and investment and industrial cooperation at the Xiamen
Summit.
Russia
is interested in promoting economic cooperation within the BRICS
format. Considerable practical achievements have been recently reported
in this area, primarily the launch of the New Development
Bank (NDB). It has approved seven investment projects in the BRICS
countries worth around $1.5 billion. This year, the NDB is to approve
a second package of investment projects worth $2.5-$3 billion
in total. I am convinced that their implementation will not only be
a boost to our economies but will also promote integration between
our countries.
Russia
shares the BRICS countries’ concerns over the unfairness of the global
financial and economic architecture, which does not give due regard
to the growing weight of the emerging economies. We are
ready to work together with our partners to promote international
financial regulation reforms and to overcome the excessive
domination of the limited number of reserve currencies. We will
also work towards a more balanced distribution of quotas
and voting shares within the IMF and the World Bank.
I am
confident that the BRICS countries will continue to act
in a consolidated manner against protectionism and new barriers
in global trade. We value the BRICS countries’ consensus on this
issue, which allows us to more consistently advocate the foundations
of an open, equal and mutually beneficial multilateral trade
system and to strengthen the role of the WTO
as the key regulator in international trade.
Russia’s
initiative on the development of cooperation among
the BRICS countries’ antimonopoly agencies is aimed at creating
effective mechanisms to encourage healthy competition. The goal is
to create a package of cooperation measures to work against
the restrictive business practices of large multinational
corporations and trans-border violations of competition rules.
I would
like to draw your attention to Russia’s initiative on the establishment
of a BRICS Energy Research Platform. We believe that this would
enable us to coordinate our information, analysis and research
activities in the interests of the five BRICS countries
and would ultimately facilitate the implementation of joint
energy investment projects.
Another
priority is to build up our cooperation in the area
of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). We believe that we
should integrate the national SMEs’ online resources for placing
crosslinks and other commercial information and for exchanging
data on reliable partners.
Russia
is advocating the Women and the Economy public-private
dialogue. This initiative provides for holding regular debates
by members of the BRICS countries’ business and expert
communities, women’s associations and government agencies. The first
such meeting was held in Novosibirsk on July 4, 2017,
on the sidelines of the First International Women’s
Congress of the SCO and BRICS Member States. Another related
idea is to create a BRICS Women’s Business Club
as a network of professional interaction between women
in business through a specialised online information resource.
Our
other priorities include cooperation in science, technology, innovations
and cutting edge medicine. Our countries have a big potential
in this respect that comprises a solid and mutually
complementary research base, unique technical achievements, skilled personnel
and huge markets for science-intensive products. We propose
discussing at the upcoming summit a package of measures
to reduce the threat of infectious diseases
and to create new medicines to prevent and fight epidemics.
I believe
our cooperation in the humanitarian sphere has excellent prospects.
While working to implement the BRICS Intergovernmental Agreement
on Cooperation in the Field of Culture, we hope that our
partners will take part in the New Wave and New Wave Junior
international contests of young pop singers. We have also advanced
the initiative to create a joint television network
of the BRICS countries.
Russia
stands for strengthening the BRICS countries’ partnership
in politics, the economy, culture and other areas. We are ready
to continue working jointly with our colleagues to promote democracy
and to strengthen the healthy elements of international
relations based firmly on international law. I am convinced that
the Xiamen Summit will help invigorate our countries’ efforts towards
finding solutions to the challenges of the 21st century
and will propel cooperation within BRICS to a higher level.
I wholeheartedly
wish health and success to your readers and to all people
in the BRICS countries.
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