MEMO: The progress of the BRICS and the preliminary instances for the summit meeting

Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, is the Russian city that will host the BRICS Summit between October 22 and 24.

This fact is not secondary and even less just another instance on the world stage.

In this text – by portraying the strength of the BRICS institutions – we seek to demonstrate a confluence of positions within a geoeconomic reading of the International System.

The understanding of the left within Westernized countries tends to be necessarily anti-hegemonic and anti-Western, at least with regard to economic development, territorial sovereignty and the possibilities of concretely defending the interests of the majority.

Therefore, with regard to “global balance”, it is essential that the economies of the “Global South” grow, develop and free themselves from two curses: the dollar standard as the international currency and economic primarization (generating ever greater dependence on the export of agricultural and mineral commodities).

This is not a whim, but a necessity, the set of sanctions and blockades affecting BRICS member states, such as Russia and Iran, seek to undermine the capabilities of the economic bloc led by China.

In fact, the leadership and hegemony of the United States is threatened from several sides – and at the same time, it is becoming increasingly threatening.

We can separate at least two levels, the political and the economic, to represent this possible – even probable – change in the balance of global power.

One way to represent the threat to the United States posed by the change in the political sphere is to call for reform or modification of the UN Security Council, with the inclusion of more members, including, of course, the so-called middle powers such as Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia.

In addition, of course, to India, the founding country of the aforementioned bloc and one of the world’s nuclear powers.

The inclusion of Hindustan (or Bharat, one of the country’s names) would also imply the inclusion of Pakistan, its strategic adversary and also a nuclear power.

In the economic sphere, the BRICS hope to carry out their ambitious attempt to change the current unipolar world order.

In the last days of August of this year, some BRICS coordination meetings will be held, advancing intra-Asian and Eurasian economic integration.

The goal is to either seek alternatives or compete economically with Western hegemony over the global economy.

The strength of preparatory meetings 

We begin by addressing the preparatory meetings – ministerial or otherwise – for the next BRICS summit, to be held in October in the most important city in the Russian administrative region of Tatarstan.

Let us look at the forums being held in the last days of August this year.

6th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Materials Science and Nanotechnology.

The date is August 27-30, 2024, held in Yekaterinburg, Urals Federal District, Russia.

The 6th BRICS International Municipal Forum will take place in Moscow from 27 to 28 August.

It is one of the largest platforms for discussing municipal cooperation issues and exchanging experiences in the run-up to the BRICS Summit.

The Forum’s program includes more than 70 business events and a large exhibition.

Experts will discuss the development of trade and investment relations and exchange experiences in using digital technologies, artificial intelligence and green technologies to create a comfortable living environment.

The program discussions will address environmental issues, climate change and solutions in education, healthcare, culture and tourism, in an effort to increase the attractiveness of cities, territories and regions.

BRICS+ Young Diplomats Forum, scheduled for August 27-31, 2024, in the city of Ufa, capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation.

3rd Meeting of the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group, scheduled for August 29-30, 2024

The venue is Vienna, Austria (taking place in parallel with the meeting of the working bodies of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption).

The event is very important because it leaves less room for lawfare operations, with coordination between the countries of the bloc, it is possible to veto maneuvers such as Operation Lava Jato or the US attempt to apply its own rule, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA), across the planet.

The BRICS Climate Agenda in Modern Conditions Forum will be held in Moscow, Russia, on August 29-30

Representatives of government bodies, business, and scientific and expert circles from the BRICS countries will discuss the strategy of combating climate change through the lens of sustainable development and each country’s approach to carbon trading, and exchange practical solutions on issues related to low-carbon development.

The BRICS Contact Group on Climate and Sustainable Development will hold its third meeting on the sidelines of the event.

The BRICS Climate Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Moscow on August 30, 2024.

The event will be attended by representatives of government agencies, the business sector, as well as experts and scientists from the BRICS countries.

The meeting will discuss the strategy for combating climate change through the lens of sustainable development and each country’s approach to carbon trading, exchanging practical solutions on issues related to low-carbon development.

Despite all attempts, the West has not been able to slow down BRICS’ development plans, which confirms the expansion of the association.

One positive aspect is the growing number of countries that want to join the bloc, especially middle powers or geopolitical pivots.

The main vector of interest is to increase their opportunities and presence, preserve their sovereignty and prevent the United States and the West in general from interfering in their internal affairs and domestic politics.

Transnational NGOs, the third sector and the like are often used as a means of public diplomacy by the Anglo-Saxon countries and NATO to influence the civil societies of various independent countries.

An example of this strength and possibility is the increase in international transactions without the use of the dollar.

Since March 2023, Brazilian agricultural exports to China no longer use – or at least do not need to use – the sovereign currency of the United States.

In December 2023, 95% of trade between Russia and China no longer passed through the dollar.

Another important fact is that since June 2024, Russia no longer allows trading in dollars and euros on the Moscow Stock Exchange.

Another important initiative is of a geoeconomic nature… The North-South Transport Corridor is an ambitious 7,200-kilometer transport route linking St. Petersburg in Russia to the southern ports of Iran and from there to Mumbai in India.

It is a direct route that bypasses Europe and is less than half the size of the traditional routes through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal.

The path of development for Eurasia is set… It would be an exaggeration to say that this is an inexorable movement, but everything indicates that there is no turning back from de-dollarization, especially since sanctions and blockades continue to be used as weapons of war by the Empire’s power projection.

It seems that the second quarter of the 21st century will see Sino-Russian hegemony in Asia and the rise of BRICS in the International System.

The original article here.