BRICS began as an amalgamation of India, Russia, China, Brazil, China, Brazil and the Republic of South Africa. By bringing together the vast natural resources, economies and technologies of developing countries, BRICS has become increasingly important in international relations.
Therefore, Ankara Centre for Crisis and Political Studies (ANKASAM) presents the views of Dr. Srinivas Junuguru, Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, to evaluate the importance of BRICS in international relations.
1-How do you see the future of BRICS and what role do they play in International Relations?
The term BRIC was first coined by Jim O Neil in 2001. O Neil predicted that these countries have an enormous amount of natural resources, human resources, and technology and have a bright future in international relations. As a result, Western countries have shifted their focus to the BRIC group. As predicted, this grouping was formalized as a political grouping by Vladimir Putin in 2009.
The Republic of South Africa became a member of the BRIC at the Sanya Summit in China in 2011. Since then, members of the BRICS group have met annually to discuss common issues and pressing global challenges. More importantly, the BRICS have consistently taken positions on various global issues and called for their peaceful resolution. Therefore, BRICS will play an important role in the emerging international relations.
2. Can you summarize the potential and importance of BRICS in international relations?
The BRICS countries have brought about changes in the existing institutional structure of international relations. At the 1st BRIC Summit in Yekaterinburg in 2009, it was announced that their cooperation would aim to bring reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and the United Nations (UN) to reflect the voice of the Global South.
Currently, the five members of the BRICS in the global economy account for 43% of the world’s population, 18% of global trade, and 20% of world gross domestic product (GDP). With the expansion of BRICS, the platform will account for 46% of the world’s population and 37% of the world’s GDP in purchasing power parity terms. It will also account for 26% of world exports and 22% of global imports.
Importantly, the BRICS economies have overtaken the G7 group of countries, which is an extraordinary growth. Another important development in the BRICS group is the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) in 2014. The main objective of the NDB is to assist BRICS countries and countries of the Global South in the development of infrastructure projects. The importance of NDB lies in green financing. The NDB is said to have financed more than 96 projects worth $33 billion. Therefore, BRICS will play a game changer in emerging international relations.
3-What do you think of the position of Russia and China in the BRICS and how do you assess their influence within the group?
Originally, Russia wanted to make the BRICS the largest political formation of Russia’s geopolitical role in international relations. The reason for this was the exclusion of Russia from international relations by Western countries. In this way, Russia shifted its foreign policy toward the global South. In fact, Russia’s former Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov had set the goal of developing Russia’s relations with India and China
China joined the BRICS grouping to support its geo-economic ambitions. As China grew rapidly as a global economic power, it needed markets to expand its economic influence, and the markets of India, South Africa, and Brazil offered Beijing an attractive opportunity.
So Russia and China may have different goals, but they have worked together to reform the existing institutional structure of international relations. Contrary to popular belief, however, Russia and China are at odds over the BRICS projects. China’s economic rise is always a threat to Russia, and China’s interference in Russia’s neighborhood is a cause for concern. Moreover, China’s stance on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform is ambivalent. However, the Arab Spring crisis and the Ukraine crisis have changed the disagreement between China and Russia on BRICS goals. The two countries are currently working on a common agenda only.
4-What are the areas of cooperation and solidarity between China and Russia within BRICS and how does this cooperation positively affect international relations?
Russia and China can cooperate in the areas of energy cooperation, climate change, and security. With Saudi Arabia joining BRICS, the energy power of the union has increased. Likewise,Egypt and Ethiopia have also joined the BRICS. In addition, more than 40 countries want to become part of the BRICS group. As the power of the group grows year by year, there is also a possibility of disagreements between members. Therefore, Russia, China and India have a great responsibility. These countries, mostly from the global South, aim to work together. Because of the growing ambition of many countries to be part of the BRICS group, a rapid change in international relations can be expected.
Assoc. Prof. Srinivas Junuguru
Assoc. Prof. Srinivas Junuguru, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, India received his PhD in 2018 from the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He received his MA in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2013. He has recently published a book titled “The Future of BRICS and the Role of Russia and China” published by Palgrave Macmillan. His areas of expertise are Indian foreign policy, the United Nations, and Russia.
