All the participants of BRICS have agreed that the name of the group will not change after new countries join it, as this will demonstrate continuity, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
"Everyone says that the name should remain unchanged, it has already become a brand. None of the newcomers to BRICS suggested otherwise. It seems to me that everyone understands that it is better to leave everything as it is, this will emphasize the continuity of all our work," Lavrov told a press conference following the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
Following the Johannesburg summit earlier in the day, the BRICS leaders decided to invite the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina and Egypt to join the group. The membership will take effect from January 1, 2024.
"Now that we are joined by such major players in the energy market as Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, of course, the topic of energy will shine in a new light and will be in great demand," Lavrov said.
Lavrov, touching upon the subject of BRICS expansion, pointed out that the decision to identify an additional category of partners at the next stage is "after all, the result, rather, of the BRICS approaches to international political problems and to a vision of the future of international relations based on [...] promoting the objective tendencies of multipolarity".
During the summit press conference, Lavrov added that the energy sphere will be one of the key areas of cooperation in BRICS after new members will join the group.
BRICS leaders have gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa for 15th BRICS Summit, where they discussed political and economic cooperation, BRICS expansion and de-dollarization.
The issue of membership expansion had been discussed at various levels since the first BRIC Summit in 2009.
On the Black Sea grain deal
Russia sees no signs that Western countries are ready to fulfill their obligations for the resumption of the grain deal, said the Russian Foreign Minister
"So far we do not see such signs," Lavrov told at press conference.
The Black Sea Grain Deal, signed by Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN in July 2022 provided a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships exporting food and fertilizers from Ukrainian ports. The deal was suspended by Russia in July due to the unfulfillment of its conditions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he would hold a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, where the grain deal will be discussed on the sidelines of the BRICS summit later on Thursday.
"I will meet with the [UN] secretary general today, I will talk to him about this [UN proposals regarding the grain deal]," Lavrov told reporters.
Lavrov about the situation in Niger
A possible military invasion in Niger, planned by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that has not recognized the recent coup in the country, will not be beneficial for any of the parties involved, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed on Thursday.
"I don't think an invasion will be beneficial for anyone. A force is already being built up from another part of ECOWAS to counter the invasion," said Lavrov.
Such a move, on the contrary, would be devastating and destructive for many countries and an immense number of people, the top Russian diplomat added.
"I really do not want that kind of scenario for Africans," he said.
A coup took place in Niger on July 26. President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. Following the mutiny, ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze rebels' assets and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country. In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum.
Earlier on Thursday, ECOWAS members with no borders with Niger agreed to move their troops into neighboring states in readiness for a possible.
Earlier on Thursday, ECOWAS members with no borders with Niger agreed to move their troops into neighboring states in readiness for a possible.
West trying to belittle BRICS significance
Western countries, calling BRICS an economic club, are trying to belittle the real significance of the union, stated Lavrov.
The minister drew attention to the fact that Western channels, announcing the opening of the BRICS summit, explained that "BRICS is an economic club."
"Calling BRICS an economic club is trying to belittle its real significance," he said.
BRICS: spheres of fruitful cooperation
Lavrov, speaking about the range of areas for developing cooperation between the countries of the association, recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously spoken about the promising international transport corridor North-South and linking it with the Northern Sea Route.
"With the involvement of the countries of the Middle East, the countries of the Persian Gulf, the opportunities for the effective implementation of these logistics projects are only increasing," [...] "Therefore, the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] proposed to create a commission on transport issues in the BRICS. I think we will do this under our chairmanship," the Russian Foreign Minister added.
The minister also noted the successful landing of the Vikram module with a lunar rover on board near the south pole of the moon by the Indian Space Research Organization, stressing that space is also "a very promising topic."
De-dollarization process
BRICS member states are currently focused on working out mechanisms of mutual trade that would end their dependence on alien reserve currencies like the US dollar, rather than creating a "common currency," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"No one is talking about common currency now. At least for now, all attention is focused on finding ways to ensure our mutual trade, mutual economic projects and investments in such a way that we do not depend on a system controlled by the United States and its Western allies, not depending on the dollar, the euro or the yen," Lavrov told a briefing on the sidelines of the BRICS summit when asked whether BRICS intended to establish a common currency in the near future.
The US and its allies have proven their ability and willingness to actively abuse their status as issuers of reserve currencies in order to achieve political goals in violation of all rules of the free market, international trade and the World Trade Organization, the Russian foreign minister added.
BRICS unites the world's largest developing economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Many expected the ongoing summit in South Africa to discuss, among other things, the creation of a common currency for mutual trade as part of a shared ambition to achieve dedollarization and shift to trading in own currencies. However, prominent BRICS representatives have repeatedly said that at present, it is too early to talk about a common currency as it requires complex interaction of finance ministers and central banks of the association on multiple levels.
The 15th BRICS Summit was the largest meeting of heads of state and government of the Global South in recent years. The invitees included the leaders of 54 African countries. The summit participants agreed that from January 1, 2024, Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia will join the association. A new list of possible members of the association will be prepared for the next summit.