BRICS Summit Takes Aim at U.S. Influence Over the Global Economy

Like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, the global grouping of emerging markets and developing countries, is intent on diminishing Western influence over the world economy. And just like the SCO summit earlier in September, the latest conclave of BRICS leaders fell short of presenting a united front against the West, the United States in particular.Both the SCO and BRICS include China, India, Iran and Russia as permanent members. Among the four, India, the host nation for this edition of the BRICS annual summit, has acted as a brake on efforts to de-dollarize the global economy. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are both BRICS partner countries.BRICS members adopted a 140-point joint statement September 12 that featured calls for major reforms of Western-dominated financial institutions, including the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to give developing countries a greater say in policymaking and practices. Some joint statement provisions took oblique swipes at the Trump administration. For example, in comments on the WTO, the statement noted a “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions that are inconsistent with WTO rules, whether in the form of indiscriminate raising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives.”But the statement does not mention the United States or Trump by name, and it soft-pedals the group’s stance on the Gulf war currently embroiling the US, Israel and Iran, calling for “maximum restraint” of all sides, instead of adopting a clear position more favorable to Tehran. Iran came away with a symbolic victory of sorts, however, underscored by a one-on-one between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, a meeting designed to counter the image that the United States is succeeding in economically isolating Tehran. A statement issued by Abu Dhabi officials was non-committal about future bilateral ties, however. The two “discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest,” while emphasizing a need to promote “de-escalation and strengthen regional stability.”Beyond the Gulf war, the BRICS statement makes no mention of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a clear win for the Kremlin.Underscoring a lack of unity within the broader BRICS framework, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev passed over the summit in New Delhi, instead making a state visit to South Korea, where he promoted stronger economic ties with the East Asian Tiger.South Korea will host a gathering of leaders from all five Central Asian states in Seoul under a C5+1 format on September 16.Meanwhile, in an expanded session of the BRICS gathering, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev adopted a middle-of-the-road stance that, consistent with the country’s multi-vector foreign policy, sought to balance the interests of China, Russia, the United States and the European Union.“The erosion of the international security architecture and protracted conflicts are increasing the risk of a new arms race and strategic miscalculations and practical wrongdoings,” Tokayev said. “Therefore, high-level dialogue among nuclear powers is needed to reduce nuclear risks, including those linked to new technologies.”The comments could be seen as referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But they can also be interpreted as a call for the US and China to de-escalate their deepening rivalry for dominance in the development of artificial intelligence. Central Asia is emerging as a central battleground in the brewing race for AI leadership.Tokayev went on to characterize BRICS as “an open platform for practical cooperation that complements the UN-centered multilateral system and connects peoples, regions and markets.”On the sidelines of the BRICS gathering, Tokayev met with Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India, who is also the Trump administration’s special representative to Central Asian states. Tokayev told Gor that he is looking forward to participating in the G20 meeting to be held in Miami in December. But he also delivered an unusually blunt message, indicating that he expects faster progress on deal-making between the United States and Kazakhstan and the repeal of the Central Asian nation’s Jackson-Vanik trade status.The Miami gathering will provide “a good opportunity to discuss bilateral issues,” a Kazakh readout of the conversation quoted Tokayev as saying. “We prefer concrete actions and practical steps to advance our mutual cooperation, rather than just words.”By EurasianetMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comAsian Refiners Seek Answers After Saudi Pipeline ShutdownEurope Gas Prices Jump 6% as Saudi Pipeline Shutdown Rattles MarketsChevron Expects LNG Prices To Remain High in the Short Term