BRICS shaping political agenda- Russia FM
November 21, 2013, 9:40 am

The two foreign ministers discussed preparations for the sixth BRICS Summit in Brazil next year [AP]

“Implementing the reform is the key task for BRICS countries within the scope of work in G20,” said Lavrov after a meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo in Moscow on Wednesday.

The two foreign ministers also discussed preparations for the sixth BRICS Summit in Brazil next year.

Lavrov said that aside from addressing trade and economic issues, “BRICS is also shaping a political agenda”.

“BRICS summits recorded our common position on many acute situations, such as Syria, Iran and Middle East settlement,” he noted.

Both Beijing and Moscow have indicated that BRICS assumes critical importance in its foreign policy in the new emerging world.

Chinese analyst Minghao Zhao says doubts regarding China’s seriousness about BRICS should be laid to rest by the fact that in the work report of the 18th CPC congress in 2012 which serves as the guideline for China’s grand strategy in the coming years, the BRICS finds special mention.

“The BRICS is an empowering identity for Beijing on the contemporary world stage,” Zhao wrote for The BRICS Post.

In February this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that strengthening the BRICS group is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities.

Meanwhile, Lavrov said the upcoming BRICS summit will address inclusive development and sustainable growth.

Russia said BRICS nations are also cooperating at the United Nations, including in the arena of cyber security.

“International information security is also suitable for BRICS’ actively promoting it together with other countries,” said Lavrov.

Brazil has heavily criticised the US for its surveillance operations that included monitoring internal Brazilian government communications, spying on Brazil’s state oil company, and intercepting data from President Dilma Rousseff’s office.

“Russia has long been promoting the necessity to adopt the commitment not to invade citizens’ privacy. At the latest UNGA session we proposed a new resolution on rules of the game in cyberspace acceptable to all,” added Lavrov.

BRICS and other emerging markets have bitterly criticised the slow progress in giving them more power at the International Monetary Fund.

The sixth China-India Financial Dialogue held in Beijing in September also prioritised reforms of the global lender.

“Both sides urge other countries to fulfill their commitment of implementing the 2010 IMF Quota and Governance Reform expeditiously and to complete the next general quota review by January 2014,” said an official joint statement.

“Why does this problem remain with us in meeting after meeting?” India’s finance minister P Chidambaram had said in a statement. “Also, there is no clarity, even after the passage of a year, as to when this will be finally achieved.”

The BRICS Post