BRICS at G20

Experts emphasized the need for greater cooperation between emerging countries.

“In G20 we have all five BRICS countries that have more common interests compared to
other countries. Russia and China, for example, are in the same situation because Russia is
facing a lot of pressure from Western countries, as much as China,” said Huang Wei,
executive director of the Centre for International Economic and Strategic Studies, Chinese
Academy of Social Science (CASS). Wei said India, for example, had a different stand, but
as it is eager to grow faster, it seeks a closer relationship with Russia and China.

Huang Wei. Source: Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations

Liu Zongyi, senior fellow at Institute of International Strategic Studies & Center for Asia-
Pacific Studies, said cooperation between these three countries could be built on trade. “TTP
excludes China and India, TTIP excludes Russia, so our counties could cooperate to build a
new trade framework,” he told RIR. “If we enhance our cooperation in advance, we will have
peace to negotiate with US and European counties on how to build a new trade and
investments framework.”

Liu suggested that since all BRICS countries are emerging economies, and the potential of
economic growth remains with emerging economies rather than developed countries, BRICS
counties should play a leading role in guiding the agenda of G20.

BRICS okays list of research projects

30 October 2015 Pavel Panov, Izvestia
BRICS Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation have signed a declaration outlining
the directions on research that member countries will be working on over the next three years.

Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation from BRICS countries met in Moscow
recently and outlined, in the Moscow Declaration, basic directions of technical and scientific
cooperation until 2018.

Among those who attended were Lyudmila Ogorodova, Russia’s Deputy Minister of
Education and Science, Carlos Cardim, Brazil’s Ambassador and Head of International
Affairs Office of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Dr Harsh Vardhan,
India’s Minister of Science,Technology and Earth Sciences, – Cao Jianlin, China’s Deputy
Minister of Science and Technology, and Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s Minister of Science
and Technology.

The declaration outlined the creation of joint BRICS scientific research and innovation
platforms to work in five different areas, proposed and agreed upon by each country. Russia’s
proposals related to water resources and combating water pollution; Brazil’s to preventing
and mitigating adverse effects of natural disasters; India’s related to geospatial technologies
and their application; China’s, to new and renewable sources of energy efficiency; and South
Africa’s to astronomy. They also decided to cooperate via networking in the following areas:
biomedicine, human health and neuroscience; information technologies, software for high-
performance computers; study of the oceans and polar research; coordination of materials on
nanotechnologies and photonics.

India’s minister also proposed that such meetings should be arranged for young scientists
from BRICS countries. They also discussed the issue of creating major research infrastructure
and “mega-science” projects. The participants concluded that despite occupying leading
positions in the world, no country alone was the global leader in developing such projects.
Among the projects to be implemented is the NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility)
complex, in Dubna. The NICA complex can be characterized as the “little brother” of the
Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva.

“In Brazil, we are working on creating cooperation between the private sector and the state.
This item should also be discussed at our meetings. Such cooperation should be present in all
sectors and manufacturing fields. Only with the joint efforts of the ministries and the
scientific community will we succeed. Not only when it is financed by the state, but also by
the private sector,” said Cardim, the Brazilian Ambassador.

Cao said the rate of economic growth is slowing, and all countries are encountering
difficulties. He said China was willing to promote multilateral cooperation among countries,
to form the technological basis to move ahead.

“In India, we are paying great attention to science and education. It is important to keep this
in mind when creating our plans for cooperation. By 2016, we plan to create a special forum
for young scientists of BRICS countries. Technologies of the 21st century have been focusing
at the competitive component. Now, to obtain more opportunities and knowledge, it is
necessary to unite,” said Harsh Vardhan.

South Africa’s Pandor supported the idea of a youth forum for young BRICS scientists.
“As for the young scientists’ forum – this is our future and the legacy of our organization.
Many conflicts in the world are the consequence of a lack of understanding of our
differences, and we have to attract young people of different nationalities into such
cooperation,” said Pandor. “Cooperation within BRICS is important for the development of
not only South Africa, but also the entire African continent.”

First published in Russian by Izvestia.