MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. The G7, following Russia’s withdrawal from it, has become a moribund organization that is hopelessly losing influence. Its role is being taken over by the G20, Federation Council member Aleksey Pushkov said at the international forum Friends of Crimea - Friends of Russia on Tuesday.
"The G7, by all accounts, is a moribund organization: not in the sense that it will perish and cease to hold meetings, but in the sense that its scope is limited. In the sense that after Russia left it, very few are still interested in it. True, it expresses the consolidated opinion of the leaders of the West and of another 30-35 West-leaning states. But it no longer dictates the rules of the game," Pushkov said. "The rules of the game are beginning to change. Other international structures and institutions are assuming the role of trend-setters."
"In this sense, given that the G7 was created about 50 years ago, and the G20 - ten years ago, it is clear that the future belongs to the G20," Pushkov said.
He stressed another sign clearly indicating that the G7 was losing its leading role: the dynamics of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). "Twelve new states intend to join BRICS. True, it would be more natural to see some traditional opponents of the United States in this group. In the meantime, these BRICS aspirants are US allies: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and a number of other states - economic leaders in their regions," Pushkov stressed.
Speaking about the current role of BRICS, Pushkov remarked that many countries saw accession to the organization as a mechanism to assert their sovereignty.
"As they are about to join BRICS, not all of these countries think that they support Russia. By joining BRICS, these countries assert their sovereignty, a new understanding of their sovereignty, and the unwillingness to bow to the United States and the Western alliance. This is the main reason. Then there follow other factors - economic ties with China and with India, and political and also economic ties with Russia," Pushkov said. "This explains why the West’s originally arrogant attitude towards BRICS has given way to a rather alarming perception of this process."
The senator believes that a new stage in the development of BRICS will involve Saudi Arabia’s admission to the group, because this state plays an important role on the energy markets."But, most importantly, Saudi Arabia has been and still remains in many respects the most important pillar for the United States to rely on in the Middle East. If Saudi Arabia joins BRICS, I think this will trigger a snowball effect. BRICS will be turned into a leading international economic organization of which the United States is not a member and where it has no influence," Pushkov concluded.