[Session 3] Broken BRICS?

RELEASE EMBARGO DATE: April 22, 2014 at 9:00 AM

Panel: Broken BRICS? (GB3)
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 / 16:00-17:15
Talking Points for: Victoria Panova, Moscow State Institute of International Relations

First full cycle of BRICS meetings is already a history and this year we are witnessing start of the new round. Even though there’s pronounced desire on the part of the BRICS themselves to continue working together, we once again see surge of discussions around viability of BRICS. It is even argued that this grouping has reached its “mid age”. Nevertheless this is at least an overstatement and objective observer would find both objective and subjective reasons for that grouping to continue existing. Among reasons to prove BRICS live and kicking one would site the following:

Progress on issues of convergence and understanding that alone none of the BRICS, even its strongest member – China – can pressure the ‘Northern club’ for concessions and fair world order arrangements (trade and investments, finance and development, food security and cyber security, etc.);

Concept of desirability of peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence and co-enrichment of diverse cultures and different civilizations opposing to the homogenized western-style world order;

Complementarity of economies and wide space for market integration, industrial and economic cooperation etc.

Latest developments, namely the crisis in Ukraine and in this context joint reaction of BRICS to Australia’s statements, manifested eagerness of all five countries to support each other even in situations were no full understanding of partner’s position could be claimed.

The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.