Global Courant
Foreign ministers of the nations that make up a Chinese-Russian-led economic bloc have made it clear that they intend to rebalance global power, claiming to aim for a “multipolar” dynamic, even if they working on putting themselves at the center.
“At the heart of the problems we face is economic concentration that leaves too many nations at the mercy of too few,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said after the BRICS meeting.
Jaishankar stressed that the five nations that make up the group needed to “send a strong message that the world is multipolar, that it is rebalancing and that old ways cannot handle new situations”.
BRICS, named after member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, met in Cape Town this week. Discussions focused on possible membership expansion and the potential for an alternative currency that could “ensure that we don’t fall victim to sanctions that have a secondary effect on countries” following sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
BUREAUCRATS SHOULD NOT IMPOSE GLOBAL AI POLICIES AT ‘FANCY, HIGH-LEVEL’ MEETINGS, EXPERT WARNS
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a press conference as BRICS foreign ministers meet in Cape Town, South Africa, 1 June 2023. (Reuters/Nic Bothma)
Chinese Vice Minister Ma Zhaoxu expressed strong support for more countries joining the bloc to help increase its influence and power.
“I believe that the expansion of the BRICS countries will benefit the BRICS countries,” he said, claiming that the group was “inclusive”… in stark contrast to the narrow circle of some countries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a dozen countries had expressed interest in joining, and South Africa’s BRICS ambassador Anil Sooklal said countries from Europe have applied to join, according to South Africa’s outlet News 24.
The list of potential new members would include Iran and Saudi Arabia, both of whom had representatives in Cape Town to participate in the BRICS meeting. Other hopeful candidates include Venezuela, Argentina, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates.
ISRAEL CALLS OUT NUCLEAR WATCHDOG, ACCUSES THEM OF MAKING ‘EXTREMELY DANGEROUS’ DEAL WITH IRAN
Foreign ministers from BRICS countries pose for a family photo with representatives from Africa and the South during a summit in Cape Town, South Africa, June 2, 2023. (Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Reuters)
BRICS has recently emerged as an alternative to the G7, which met in Japan last month for its annual summit. The group started as a loose conglomerate, but China and Russia have given it a more concrete shape in recent years to refocus the dynamics of global power.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira called the group an “indispensable mechanism” to balance against the Western influence of the G7, which consists of the US, Japan, Canada, Britain, France, Italy and Germany.
One issue overshadowing the meeting was whether South Africa would be required to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with war crimes, in particular the kidnapping of children, allegedly committed in Ukraine.
US CALLS ON SUDAN’S WARRING SIDES TO RESUME STATE FIRE IF PEACE EFFORTS OVERRIDE
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud meet on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of the BRICS countries, in Cape Town, South Africa. Africa on June 1, 2023. (Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Reuters)
South Africa, as a signatory to the 1998 Rome Statute, would likely be forced to arrest Putin if he attended these or future meetings within its borders, but officials have looked at obtaining diplomatic immunity for Putin to sidestep the issue .
“Russia attaches enormous importance to the development of this form of integration. And Russia will participate in this summit at the appropriate level,” Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said at a recent press conference. “Of course, as a bare minimum, we count on partner countries in such an important format not to be swayed by such illegitimate decisions.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A statement from Clayson Monyela, head of South Africa’s public diplomacy, said yes on Tuesday “standard” practice for Cape Town and “all countries” to grant immunity to officials attending international conferences “regardless of level of participation”.
Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall and Reuters contributed to this report.
Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
