Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on January 26 said “countries like China and India are already ahead of the United States and EU members in many respects”, while also announcing that the 15th BRICS summit will take place in August this year at Durban, South Africa.
Mr. Lavrov made these remarks at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister of the State of Eritrea Osman Saleh, Massawa. Responding to a question about the role of Africa in a world that is moving away from unipolarity to multi-polarity, he said, “Africa is one of the most serious centres with colossal potential. It is an extremely affluent continent, including when it comes to natural resources, which have been exploited for many centuries.”
Accusing the West of regularly visiting Africa and demanding them to refrain from cooperation with the Russian delegation, Mr. Lavrov said, “No visits to deliver mentor advice nor the hybrid wars of the West (including in Ukraine) can stop the development of new centres of economic power, financial and political influence.”
“Countries like China and India are already ahead of the United States and EU members in many respects. Türkiye, Egypt, countries of the Persian Gulf, Brazil and other Latin American countries are emerging as influential and self-sufficient centres. They are the future centres of multi-polarity,” he added.
Calling the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping, “a manifestation of global multi-polarity,” he said that more than 12 countries have showed an interest in joining it. “Developing links between BRICS and other countries will be a central topic at the upcoming summit of the five which is to take place in August in Durban, South Africa. The clock of multi-polar history is ticking in the right direction,” Mr. Lavrov added.
“Strengthening regional identity in the developing regions of the world does not mean that multi-polarity is not happening in a global dimension.”
The 14th BRICS summit had taken place virtually on June 23, 2022, and was hosted by the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
