The BRICS group is not trying to compete with or oppose any other nation or group, but nevertheless faces resistance from countries of the so-called “golden billion” that wish to preserve their global dominance, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the BRICS summit in South Africa via video link on Thursday, the Russian leader pointed out that the group’s efforts to create a new world order based on multipolarity has “irreconcilable opponents” who wish to slow down the process and restrain the formation of new and independent centers of development and influence in the world.
Putin said that states of the “golden billion” are doing everything in their power to preserve a unipolar world that suits them and is beneficial to them. “They are trying to replace the system of international law with their own so-called rules-based-order,” the president said, adding that no one has actually seen the rules, which are constantly being changed and adapted to benefit the interests of individual countries.
The Russian leader went on to state that the way the countries operate is tantamount to colonialism, but “in a new package, which, by the way, doesn’t look that good.”
“Modern colonialists, hiding behind the good slogans of democracy and human rights, seek to solve their problems at someone else’s expense, continuing to shamelessly pump resources out of developing countries,” Putin claimed.
At the same time, he maintained that these “modern colonialists” also create financial relationships with developing economies that make it nearly impossible for the borrowers to pay off their debts.
“It no longer looks like loan obligations, but like an indemnity,” Putin said.
He went on to name “radical neoliberalism” as another threat to the new, multipolar world order, which he said was being imposed by some countries that wish to destroy crucial traditional values, such as the institution of the family and the respect for national and religious traditions.
“For the sake of opportunistic tasks, some politicians do not hesitate to even justify neo-Nazism, xenophobia, extremism of different kinds and condone terrorists,” the president observed.
Putin stated that “the world majority,” a large portion of which are represented in BRICS, have grown tired of pressure and manipulation and wish to establish honest, equal, and mutually respectful cooperation.
This year’s BRICS summit is being held from August 22 to August 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa, which currently holds the chair of the group. Russia is being represented in person by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while President Putin is taking part via video link. Next year, the chair will pass to Moscow. Putin has already announced that the next summit will take place in the Russian city of Kazan, while economic, political and social events will be held throughout the country in over a dozen cities.