MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/. BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has the potential for finding common ground on the most complex issues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an article for South Africa’s Ubuntu Magazine.
"Indeed, we have something to present to our public. Through joint efforts, BRICS has managed to create a culture of dialogue based on the principles of equality, respect for the choice of one's own developmental path and consideration of each other's interests. This helps us find common ground on and solutions even to the most complex issues," he wrote.
The place and significance of BRICS today and its ability to influence the global agenda are determined by objective factors, Lavrov said. "The figures speak for themselves. The population of the BRICS countries is over 40% and the area of their territories exceeds a quarter of the world's land. According to experts' forecasts, in 2023 the five countries will account for about 31.5% of global GDP (at purchasing power parity), while the share of the G7 has fallen to 30% in this indicator," he stressed.
"Today, the BRICS strategic partnership is gaining momentum. The "Big Five" offers the world creative, forward-looking initiatives aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring food and energy security, healthy growth of the global economy, conflict resolution, and combating climate change, including by means of a just energy transition," the minister noted.
An extensive network of mechanisms has been established to address these challenges, he added. "The Strategy for Economic Partnership 2025, which defines the benchmarks of cooperation in the mid-term, is being implemented. The BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform launched at the Russian initiative is operating successfully. The BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Center designed to help develop effective responses to challenges to the epidemic well-being of our countries has started its work. Initiatives on Denial of Safe Haven to Corruption, on Trade and Investment for Sustainable Development, and on Enhancing Cooperation on Supply Chains have been approved. The BRICS Strategy on Food Security Cooperation has been adopted," Lavrov concluded.