PRESS RELEASE
Russian Official: We’ll Move BRICS from Talk to Action
Jan. 15, 2015 (EIRNS)—In a lengthy interview given on Jan. 13, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told the official Chinese news agency Xinhua that Russia is committed to “transform the BRICS from a dialogue-based forum ... into a full-blown mechanism of interaction on the key issues of the global economy and politics.”
Russia takes over the chairmanship of the BRICS in April, and, after an initial dialogue on the deepening ties between Russia and China, emphasizing the increase in trade, and especially energy, agreements, Xinhua turned the discussion to the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which will meet in tandem with the BRICS in Ufa, Russia in July.
Morgulov began by summarizing:
“Among the strategic interests that unite the members of the BRICS, I’d like to note their desire to reform the international financial and economic system in accordance with the current realities of the global economy, their interest in strengthening the legal framework of international relations, and their willingness to make greater use of the complementary nature of economies in order to accelerate the development of our countries.”
Soon after he elaborated:
“We also seek to improve industrial and technical cooperation, to develop and implement new joint projects in areas such as energy, mining, metallurgy, agro-industry, telecommunications, and high technology. The priorities of our chairmanship include expanding the capabilities of BRICS, including in the social sphere, promoting research activity, upgrading health-care systems, and improving migration, youth, and information policies.
“One of the key goals of the Russian chairmanship will be the implementation of the BRICS decisions to establish its own financial institutions (the New Development Bank and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement) that are designed to help stabilize the capital markets of participating countries in the event of global crises, as well as to deepen the integration of our states and strengthen their trade and investment capabilities....”
