Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has accepted the invitation to attend an in-person BRICS summit in South Africa later this year in August, said BRICS South Africa Sherpa Anil Sooklal in an exclusive interview with WION.
The five nation bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) has a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) slightly more than the United States. The five major economies constitute 41 per cent of world population, 24 per cent of the world GDP and 16 per cent of global trade flows.
Speaking to WION’s diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, BRICS Sherpa Anil Sooklal said that Russia is “preparing to attend the summit. And South Africa is preparing to host an in-person summit in August this year.”
The comments assume significance since International Criminal Court issued a warrant against President Putin which raised concern over his participation. On top of that, South Africa is one of 123 signatories to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court, further throwing the BRICS summit host of the year into a geopolitical dilemma.
The Sherpa also spoke about expansion of the grouping, explaining, 20 countries have formally or informally approached BRICS leaders to become full members of BRICS.
Asked about India, the Sherpa Anil said, “India has been a founding member of the BRICS and has played a critical role over the past 15 years.”
WION reported in recent weeks about how the BRICS nations are banding together to counter the dominance of dollar as a nearly hegemonic currency in global trade. “BRICS Sherpa called for “focusing on reforming the global multilateral architecture at geopolitical, geo-economic and geo-financial” levels.
“Well, we already have an agreement that we signed several years ago, the BRICS interbank agreement mechanism that lays the foundation to trade in local currency,” Sooklal said.
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Sidhant Sibal: What is the key focus of the South African Presidency of the BRICS?
Anil Sooklal: You’ve rightfully pointed out that we are president of BRICS this year for the third time, having hosted in 2013 and 2018. Whenever South Africa has the opportunity to share BRICS, it’s always also about the African continent. This was the case in 2013 and again in 2018. Because BRICS is first, in the first instance the partnership between the five of us, but it’s also looking at the larger global South. So, for this year, South Africa has chosen the theme BRICS and Africa partnership for mutually accelerated growth as well as sustainable development and inclusive multilateral. Now if you break down the theme, it consists of four parts firstly, the partnership between BRICS and Africa, which will be a major focus of, of our summit. Secondly, it focuses on mutually accelerate growth, given the challenges of the post COVID environment that we find ourselves, in an environment where you have major power conflict that is impacting global growth, including BRICS Member States and of course, thirdly, we will also look at the sustainable development goals as you are aware as a result of COVID we have fallen back in terms of meeting the targets of the 2030 agenda and the SDGs.
So, we will have a discussion on how we can best assist each other in bringing back, bringing us back on track in terms of meeting our SDG goals. And of course, inclusive multilateralism is a standing agenda item of BRICS. BRICS has always focused on how we reform the current global multi-multilateral architecture that has severe fault lines. So focusing on reforming the global multilateral architecture, the geopolitical, geo economic and geo financial architecture will be a major focus for us. So these are some of our key priorities.
Now, of course, in terms of specific deliverables, as I’ve indicated, we want to use the summit to focus on Africa and specifically the African continental Free Trade Agreement, how BRICS, can partner with the African continent to advance this agreement for the mutual benefit of BRICS countries and the African continent. All of the BRICS countries are major partners in Africa’s development, in Africa’s economy, so we’re having an interaction during the BRICS plus and outreach summit that we will have post the BRICS leaders’ summit, with leaders from Africa and other global south partners will give us this opportunity to focus on Africa. And to focus on the larger economy. We are also going to be looking at some specific areas of cooperation especially around energy transition and establishing a BRICS Africa- just the energy transition platform. As you know, all of us have made commitments to transit to green energy, but we must ensure that it’s a just transition that does not impact negatively on our economic growth does not impact negatively on employment opportunities, and does not impact negatively on poverty alleviation measures. So, energy also be a major focus for us.
We’ll also look at skills and capacity building for the future. As you know, with new technologies, the future of work is very under discussion. So again, we will look at how we can cooperate in addressing the challenges that new technologies pose to capacity and skills development in the workplace, and how we can also harness the tremendous opportunities that New Technologies provides all of us on the workplace. So these are some of our key priorities. And as I indicated, addressing collectively the challenges of the multilateral architecture as it’s currently exist, and what is it the BRICS can do as a collective to advance the discussions and debate on the global stage and not just advance to discussion, but practically, how can we ensure that we bring back the United Nations at the center of the multilateral order. This is something all of us subscribe to and to ensure that the current multilateral order reflects the current global reality which is quite different from when the United Nations was formed almost 50 years ago.
Sidhant Sibal: What about trading in national currencies, are there any plans?
Anil Sooklal: Well, we already have an agreement that we signed several years ago, the BRICS interbank agreement mechanism that lays the foundation to trade in local currency. So the framework already exists through that MOU that has been signed. What we need to do now is actualize this and given the current situation that we find ourselves in in terms of the global financial architecture, you will see that increasingly BRICS countries and other countries of the global south are starting to trade in their own currencies. India has agreement it is close to 20 plus countries. I was two weeks ago in Moscow and this feature very sharply in the discussions I had with the Russian BRICS Sherpa. And likewise, China is doing the same Brazil. President Lula was recently in China, and he spoke strongly about this. So I think you’re going to see this this is also already a discussion within BRICS. The framework in-place and also, I should point out that the New Development Bank, will give 30% of its new lending will be in the local currency. So this process has in terms of lending within BRICS, it’s also started in terms of trading between ourselves in local currency. And I think you’re going to see this accelerating, and this discussion is very much part of the BRICS agenda this year.
Sidhant Sibal: If you can talk about the expansion of the grouping..
Anil Sooklal: Yes, as you will recall, last year at the Beijing summit under China’s chair ship, paragraph 73 of the declaration specifically spoke to expansion wherein it stated that we need to start having discussions on BRICS expansion and the leaders tasked sherpas to start looking at the modalities, rules and guidelines governing expansion. So a working group has been created that is specifically working on this mandate. We have had several meetings, we started under China’s chair ship last year with 2 meetings, and since South Africa assumed chairmanship, we had three such meetings. We have a further meeting next week at the level of Su Sherpa, specifically discussing expansion. And at the end of May we have a Sherpa meeting to also take forward the discussions and prepare report for our foreign ministers who will be meeting on the first and second of June, on where we are in this process. As you have observed, something like 13 countries have formally asked BRICS leaders to become full members of BRICS. In addition, about the five or six countries that we informally made queries wanting to become BRICS members. So something like 20 countries have formally or informally approached BRICS leaders to become full members of BRICS. So expansion is something that we have, in principle agreed to our leaders have agreed to the expansion of BRICS, but it’s working on the modalities and timeframes of how this will pan out and that’s what we are seeing.
Sidhant Sibal: Countries who have been invited for the BRICS outreach summit?
Anil Sooklal: Well, this is a process under consultation, but we are looking at using a formula that we have discussed with the African Union, which we use in 2013 and 2018. That worked well. Because BRICS is an inclusive process. So, we must ensure that we are inclusive in the manner in which we invite global leaders from the Global South, including Africa. So what we have done in the past is to invite the political heads of the regional economic communities of Africa, which we have eight that is recognized by the African Union and in addition, we will invite the chair of the African Union, chair of the African Union Commission. Likewise, in terms of invitees from the Global South, in 2018. We also found a formula that was acceptable to all BRICS partners, and I think to the global south as well. We will invite the political heads of all the global south bodies like the Nam, the G 77, the SCO ASEAN, CARICOM, and the Pacific Island forum. So that’s the envisaged list of countries we intend to invite together with the African leaders for the architects. Of course, there’s a lot of interest in it and a number of countries have approached us wanting to be invited to the summit. So, we’ll have to look at how we are involved in a process that is inclusive.
Sidhant Sibal: How much will be the conflict in Africa, like the Sudan crisis will be discussed?
Anil Sooklal: Well, look, global hotspots has always been an integral part of the Brexit agenda, both at the level of foreign ministers as well as at the summit, not just on conflict in Africa, but conflict throughout the world be it the Western Asia region, in Northeast Asia, in Africa, in Latin America And in Europe. So we will look at some global hotspots and how is it that we can cooperate as BRICS countries to ensure that we instil a movement towards peace through diplomatic dialogue and trying to avert future conflicts and addressing current conflicts in a peaceful and inclusive manner through the respective united with the involvement of the United Nations with the involvement of the regional bodies in the case of Africa, the African Union and the regional economic communities and likewise, in the case of Southeast Asia, for example, the situation in Myanmar with the ASEAN in that instance. So I think addressing peace on the global stage in a comprehensive and inclusive manner, wherever it is.
Sidhant Sibal: What does India brings to the table?
Anil Sooklal: Well, India has been a founding member of the BRICS and has played a critical role over the past 15 years that we are meeting at the level of Summit. I’ve been privileged to partake whenever India has chaired as way back as 2012 at the Delhi summit and subsequently the Goa Summit, and India has brought tremendous value to the BRICS on all three areas of cooperation as you know, we are arranged in such a manner that we have three pillars of cooperation, the political and security, economic and finance and of course, the social and people to people interaction. And in all of these areas, India has been a critical contributor like the other BRICS members, it was in New Delhi that we in 2012 started the process of looking at establishing a BRICS Bank, which ultimately turned out to be the New Development Bank and that was the initiative of India to look at how we as countries of the global south should develop our own multilateral development bank. And so, India has been critical in several important developments over the years in advancing BRICS cooperation, including the standalone statement that we had on addressing terrorism, including the issues of global peace and security. As well as the tremendous economic opportunities that we have through the BRICS Business Council, where the Indian chapter plays a very important role through the woman’s Business Alliance, and of course through the think tank Council where Indian academia and think tanks have been an important dimension for cooperation.
Sidhant Sibal: Has BRICS outgrown G7?
Anil Sooklal: Well, let me say that when BRICS came together as a formation, we did so with a common agenda to advance the agenda of the global south as a collective and addressing the fault lines that exist in the global, geopolitical, geo economic financial architecture. That is what BRICS is about , BRICS is an inclusive process. We will never form as a bloc in opposition to any other block nor will be seen as a counterweight to any other block. It is about ourselves and how do we ensure that the global south is not marginalized as we have been constantly marginalized in terms of what is happening on the global front in reshaping a more inclusive and equitable architecture. So, of course, the G7 is there for a long time. And the G7 is about the global north and they cannot speak for the global south because they do not have the same challenges and experiences that we are having as the global south. And that’s why you see a tremendous, tremendous interest from a large number of emerging markets, developing countries, very important countries from the Global South, wanting to have a former relationship and join the BRICS. They’re not asking to join other bodies. They’re asking to join the BRICS. And that’s because we are doing certain things that are appealing to them in terms of addressing the imbalances that exist in a very unequal world at the present time.
Sidhant Sibal: Will President Putin be able to attend the summit in South Africa given a warrant has been issued?
Anil Sooklal: Well, let me say that President Ramaphosa has sent out invitations to all four of the BRICS leaders, all of the countries including President Putin have accepted the invitation and they are all looking forward to attending the summit in person in South Africa in August, which is the first time in four years as a result of COVID that we are convening in person. And I was in Moscow two weeks ago where I met the Russian BRICS Sherpa. They are preparing to attend the summit. And South Africa is preparing to host an in-person summit in August this year.
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