01:00
Vladimir Putin’s article
BRICS: Towards New Horizons of Strategic
Partnership was published ahead of the BRICS Summit, which will be held in Xiamen, China, on September 4 and 5. The 9th BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen, China, on September 4 and 5. I consider it important in this regard to present Russia’s approaches to cooperation within the framework of this large and respected association and to share my views on the future of our further cooperation.
I would like to begin by expressing our appreciation of China’s significant contribution as this year’s chair of the organisation, which has allowed the BRICS countries as a group to move forward in all the key areas of our partnership, including politics, the economy and culture. Moreover, the group of five has greatly strengthened its global standing.
It is important that our group’s activities are based on the principles of equality, respect for one another’s opinions and consensus. Within BRICS, nothing is ever forced on anyone. When the approaches of its members do not coincide, we work patiently and carefully to coordinate them. This open and trust-based atmosphere is conducive to the successful implementation of our tasks....MUCH MORE, including Korea, Syria, destroying Western financial hegemony, the usual:
...“financial regulation reforms” [overcoming] “the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies” [working] “towards a more balanced distribution of quotas and voting shares within the IMF and the World Bank.”...
Meanwhile, China is on the same page:
China's Xi says BRICS must promote open world economy—Reuters, Sept. 2
And maybe more concretely:
China Readies Yuan-Priced Crude Oil Benchmark Backed By Gold—Oilprice.com, Sept. 1
*Adding "of Russia" I almost slipped into autocrat-speak:
"By the Grace of God, We, NN, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod; Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Chersonese Taurian, Tsar of Georgia; Lord of Pskov and Grand Prince of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhynia, Podolia, Finland; Prince of Estland,....."
It goes on and on listing the territories and actually ends with:
"...hereditary Sovereign and ruler of the Circassian and Mountainous Princes and of others; Lord of Turkestan; Heir of Norway; Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, and Oldenburg, and others, and others, and others."
In future I'll just go with 'Putin' and avoid the temptation to do the Autocrat of All the Russias thing.
