Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, known for his outspokenness and wit, has once again shown the mirror to the western countries including America. Speaking in Geneva, a European country in Switzerland on Thursday, he rejected the argument that BRICS, an organization of countries like Russia, China and India, is an unnecessary organization.
Actually, he was asked that all the BRICS countries were already included in G-20, then why was there a need for a new organization. On this question, the Foreign Minister, citing the G-7, an organization of western countries including America, said that when this block can be formed in the presence of G-20, then why not BRICS. He also said that you people, i.e. the G-7 countries, did not allow any other country to come into your block, so countries like India formed their own new block.
S. Jaishankar said this in a conversation with Ambassador Jean-David Levitte at the think tank Geneva Center for Security Policy.
BRICS was founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, which was later joined by South Africa. In January this year, five new countries – Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Ethiopia – joined the group. The BRICS countries account for 27% of global GDP.
Why BRICS Club?
Jean-David Levitte asked the Foreign Minister why there was a need for a new club BRICS when there was already a G-20 block? In response, S Jaishankar said sharply, ‘Why club? Because there was another club…. it was called G7 and you would not let anyone else join that club. So, we created our own club.’
He further said, ‘I am surprised how insecure the Global North (countries like America, Canada, England, European Union, South Korea) starts feeling when you talk about BRICS. Somehow or the other, it keeps bothering people. Just think… G-20 already exists, so is G-7 over? Have its meetings stopped? No, it is still going on. G-7 is going on along with G-20. Then, why can’t BRICS exist along with G-20?’
‘BRICS is unique compared to other blocks’
The Foreign Minister said that the development of BRICS has happened naturally because the countries have recognized its importance. This block is unique from other blocks as it has worked to bring together countries which are completely different from each other.
He said that the importance of BRICS has increased over time because other countries have also recognised its value.
During this, the Foreign Minister also talked about the Global South (developing countries like China, India, Indonesia, Brazil). He said, ‘Most of the countries of the Global South are free-colonial countries. Most of these are developing countries.’ He said that the countries of the Global South understand each other.
The Foreign Minister is on the third and final leg of his three-nation tour. He started his tour with the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council Ministerial Meeting in Saudi Arabia and then reached Germany. There he held discussions with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and also met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Foreign Minister arrived on September 12 on a two-day visit to Switzerland.
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