MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. Washington, speaking about an association of the United States, Russia, China, India, and Japan, identified countries that will truly play an important role on the international stage, Karin Kneissl, former Austrian Foreign Minister and director of the G.O.R.K.I. Center at St. Petersburg State University, told TASS in an interview.

Kneissl was asked to comment on media reports that the United States is discussing the possibility of creating a group to replace the G7, called the Core 5, which would include the United States, China, India, Japan, and Russia. "These are serious actors economically, demographically, and politically," she explained. Kneissl pointed out that Japan was the world's second-largest economy for a very long time, until China overtook it. "Japan still faces demographic challenges, as well as problems in the banking sector that began in the 1990s. But despite this, Japan is a crucial player from both the Russian and American perspectives, particularly in high technology. So, of course, Japan shouldn't be taken lightly," she explained.

In her opinion, another technologically advanced Asian country, such as the Republic of Korea, could be viewed similarly. "South Korea is undoubtedly just as important in terms of innovation, I would say. Japan undoubtedly plays a more significant role than South Korea. These countries simply reflect their respective weights," she added.

At the same time, Kneissl noted, "Europe no longer plays any role in the world at all." "In considering the C5 platform, it would be completely obvious that Europe is no longer important. Then the seats on the UN Security Council could be redistributed. Because then, what's the point of France and the UK having veto power?" she asked.

The former head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the waning influence of the G7 has been discussed more than once in recent years. "Why is Canada there, and why is Italy there? Of course, I respect Italy as an ancient cultural nation, but on the world stage that doesn’t matter," she noted. "There are always two representatives from Brussels: the European Commission and the President of the EU Council. There are always two people representing Europeans - in addition to the European countries already there, such as the Germans, the British, and the French."