The BRICS nations concluded their virtual sherpas’ conference yesterday, chaired by China and entitled the “Second BRICS Sherpas’ Meeting 2022.” The chairman, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, referred to the BRICS as “representatives of emerging markets and developing countries,” calling among the five of them—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—to “walk the walk, deepen their strategic partnership, act as a stabilizer for international and regional situation and an accelerator for development, contribute BRICS’ solution to safeguarding fairness and justice, inject BRICS’ strength into the stability of the global market, build a BRICS defense line for jointly fighting the pandemic, and provide BRICS momentum for international development and cooperation. All parties stressed that the world is facing multiple challenges such as the raging pandemic, shaky economic recovery, and the Ukraine crisis. BRICS countries should further strengthen solidarity and coordination....” (https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjbxw/202204/t20220414_10667820.html)
Today, Sputnik International reported that Russia, which was represented at the meeting by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, “has expressed confidence that BRICS will be at the heart of a new world order which is emerging due to the West’s attempts to isolate Moscow by imposing unilateral economic sanctions.” The BRICS had “expressed concern about the ‘serious impacts’ of ‘unilateral sanctions’ against Russia on the post-COVID global economic recovery. The five countries have also raised apprehensions about the impacts of the sanctions on the ‘stability’ of industrial and supply chains, energy, and food security…. It also underlined that ‘great importance’ must be accorded to the concerns of developing countries to make sure that their people’s livelihoods aren’t affected because of the economic sanctions.”