Russian Presidential Representative: The BRICS is a ‘Living Reality,’ an ‘Alliance of International Relations Reformers’

Speaking on March 31 in Moscow, on the eve of Russia’s assuming the chairmanship of the BRICS, Vadim Lukov, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Deputy Representative of the Russian President on BRICS issues, spoke to the press about the issues Russia considers to be priorities for the coming year.

He quickly dismissed the arguments of “Western critics” who say that because there have been economic slowdowns in some of the BRICS countries, or disagreements among some members, that this has caused the group to lose its appeal. “Nothing could be farther from the truth,” he said, because BRICS “is not united by high economic growth rates,” but is rather “an alliance of international relations reformers.”

As such, Lukov said, the BRICS has very specific strategic interests: conducting an independent policy in international affairs, and affirming international law as the “fundamental norm of international life as opposed to the rule of force.” The strategic goal of the BRICS partners, he added, is to gradually transform the group into a mechanism for coordinating actions “both on strategic issues and current international political and economic issues,” so that the BRICS can become a “functional element of the system of global governance.”

Russia, Lukov explained, intends to focus attention on the BRICS role in consolidating “strategic stability and settling regional conflicts,” primarily in North Africa and the Middle East, and that BRICS foreign ministers will hold special consultations in Moscow in April or May on this issue.

Lukov also outlined a series of goals and planned actions in the financial and currency sphere, including, as a top priority, the commissioning of the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement. He also stressed that, after four years of “marking time,” any further delay in reforming the International Monetary Fund is unacceptable.

The BRICS will draft its Strategy for Economic Partnership Lukov said, which will serve as a guide for all economic actions by the BRICS countries, their government agencies, and other BRICS mechanisms. Russia is also drafting a “roadmap” of investment projects, which will be further refined in cooperation with other members over the course of the year. This will include a list of major investment cooperation projects, beginning with the energy sector. Among other things, Russia has proposed establishing a BRICS reserve fuel bank and an energy association.

There will also be a BRICS ministerial meeting to address counter-narcotics strategy, or what Lukov called “the drug threat,” for the purpose of setting up a working group to “permanently coordinate actions in this area.” Related to this, Lukov underscored that the BRICS will place special emphasis on youth issues, which will be dealt with as a separate, standalone group. Apart from the Youth Summit, he said, “we will open the BRICS Network University, a BRICS Global University Summit, and a competition of young diplomats from the BRICS countries.