Time to raise the BRICS' role to a new level – Vladimir Putin

Time to raise the BRICS' role to a new level – Vladimir Putin

Ahead of the BRICS summit, the Russian President talks about the prospects of the grouping and how it can play a role in the settlement of regional conflicts.

What is on the BRICS Summit agenda, and what plans do you, as the Russian leader, consider important to discuss with your partners at the summit?

The modern world is indeed multipolar, complex, and dynamic – this is objective reality. Any attempts to create a model of international relations where all decisions are made within a single ‘pole’ are ineffective, malfunction regularly, and are ultimately set to fail.

Those are the reasons why the interaction format proposed by Russia for such influential states such as the BRICS members has proved to be needed. Our joint efforts have truly contributed to enhancing predictability and sustainability in international relations.

The forthcoming summit's theme is Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions. Therefore, we will consider the most urgent issues in global politics and the economy, as well as the BRICS development.

India attaches great importance to BRICS

I believe it is time to raise the BRICS' role to a new level and to make our association an unalienable part of the global management system for sustainable development.

How can this be practically achieved?

First of all, to develop cooperation in the UN in every possible way, persistently counteract individual states' attempts to impose on the international community the policy of displacing unwanted regimes and promoting unilateral solutions to crisis situations. We propose to create a mechanism of regular high‑level consultations between our foreign ministries on different regional conflicts to agree, where possible, on common positions and joint efforts to ensure their political and diplomatic settlement.

We should coordinate BRICS policy more actively and counteract security threats and challenges, including counter-terrorism. Among other ways, this can be achieved through the mechanism of counter-terrorism consultations. An important place on the agenda will be devoted to expanding cooperation to combat drug trafficking. We are ready to build up joint efforts to reinforce the international legal regime of drug control.

Cooperation in setting rules of responsible behaviour in the global information space is another important issue. Such rules must be based on the principles of respect for a country's sovereignty, non-interference in domestic affairs, observance of human rights and freedoms, as well as equal rights for all countries to participate in Internet management. I think our joint efforts will ensure that the BRICS countries hold a leading position in strengthening international information security.

We are planning to shape a joint information policy in the international arena to support BRICS’ activity and to present a more unbiased picture of the world.

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