In a two-hour forthright discussion with heads of leading BRICS media agencies on Oct. 18, transcribed on the Kremlin site Russian President Vladimir Putin previewed many of the central policy issues that will be on the agenda of the Oct. 22-24 BRICS summit. What follows are some important excerpts:
BRICS and the world economy: “The most important sign is the emergence of new development centers. This is the most important sign. According to experts, whom I trust and whose opinions I heed, this development will be focused primarily in BRICS countries. This is the Global South, Southeast Asia and Africa.… Regarding BRICS countries like China, India, Brazil and South Africa, it is evident that their expanding economic potential will lead to their bigger global influence. This is an undeniable fact and it simply reflects objective reality…. Moreover, it is evident that by 2028, this trend will continue, with the gap favoring the BRICS countries only widening. This is a clear and undeniable fact.
“In certain sectors, humanity’s existence is impossible without the BRICS countries, particularly in food and energy markets and so on. However, in high-tech fields, especially in the development and application of artificial intelligence, we are not only acquiring competencies but also emerging as leaders in certain areas. This represents a significant shift, one of the most important and noticeable changes in today’s world.
“This is a natural occurrence, and there is nothing wrong with it. The world is always evolving, and new leaders continuously emerge. We should accept this calmly as a reality and focus on building our relationships with one another accordingly.”
BRICS wants to work with the West: “What sets BRICS apart from many other international organizations? BRICS was never meant to be created in opposition to anyone. The Prime Minister of India put it best. He said BRICS is not an anti-Western alliance; it is simply non-Western. This distinction is very important and has great meaning. That is, BRICS does not set itself in opposition to anyone. It is a group of countries that work together, guided by shared values, a common vision for development, and, most importantly, by the consideration of each other’s interests….
“As you see, we are not creating some sort of bloc as an opposition to someone’s interests. This is not a bloc organization; it has a universal character and I think it will have an overall positive impact on global affairs, including the global economy. If these efforts help develop the global economy, they will also be beneficial for those countries that are not part of this BRICS group. This is only evident, I think.
“I believe that the world economic leaders will ultimately benefit from this as well, even despite many of them now having to face certain problems. We are aware of the issues in the eurozone, which is generally balancing on the verge of recession. It will only serve for the benefit of these economies if they maintain proper and sustainable relations with BRICS countries….
“As far as I remember, the [U.S.] foreign trade deficit stands at US$718 billion, while the budget deficit is at US$1.8 trillion and the national debt amounts to US$34.8 trillion. As we can see, even leading economies have a lot of problems. I believe that having good relations with BRICS states—and we are open to these efforts—will have a generally beneficial effect on the global economy.”
On the expansion of the BRICS: Now BRICS includes ten countries.… It is very important for them to respect the principles on which BRICS was created, and it was created by three countries. The first step was made by Russia, India, and China, we did it together. At that time, we created RIC in St. Petersburg, Russia, India, and China. Later, it started to expand. On the other hand, however, all countries in the group should also respect the new participants’ interests…. It is clear that expanding the group was a positive and right decision. I am fully convinced that this will undoubtedly boost our influence and authority on the global stage, something we are already witnessing….
