Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin held a roundtable meeting on expanding cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Global Majority.
Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin held a roundtable meeting titled Expanding Multi-Faceted Cooperation Between Russia and the Countries of the Global Majority in the Current International Environment: EAEU, BRICS and the SCO Partnerships.
During the discussion, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev stressed that leadership in developing the modern world is gradually shifting from the West to the East and from the North to the South. “Western countries have created a great number of institutions to secure an advantage in global competition. Although the Global Majority resents the unipolar world model, there has been no alternative for a long time.”
He believes that in the past 10 to 20 years, alternative institutions have started to emerge, primarily integration institutions such as the EAEU, BRICS and the SCO that actually appeal to the global majority. Konstantin Kosachev believes that these platforms must offer a foundation for creating new institutions for a multipolar world order.
In his remarks, Grigory Karasin emphasised that today, movement towards global multipolarity is a fact and a geopolitical reality. He noted that in a major trend, the Global Majority is raising its voice. These are countries beyond the so-called collective West – in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Currently, Russia views cooperation with these countries as its foreign policy priority.
“Efforts are underway to reshape and update the international framework. A remarkable example of multipolar diplomacy is the activity of associations such as the SCO and BRICS that operate on the principles of equal cooperation, promoting a constructive agenda and consensus rather than bloc discipline,” the senator said, noting that these associations oppose interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states, double standards and illegitimate unilateral sanctions.
According to Grigory Karasin, with the process to expand BRICS and the SCO, the key priority today is to ensure the smooth and conscious integration of the new participants with the architecture of a new partnership.
“Expanding direct interactions between the countries of the Global Majority and building partnerships between the EAEU, BRICS, the SCO and ASEAN are playing an increasingly important role in creating a new and more just world order. These are practical steps to democratise the existing world order and normalise ties in world affairs,” the Chair of the Federation Council International Affairs Committee pointed out.
According to the senator, the President’s initiative to build a Greater Eurasian Partnership has serious prospects. “Greater Eurasia is home to major national economies. There are ambitious integration projects and initiatives. The Eurasian Economic Union is consistent in its efforts to create a framework for promoting dialogue with the countries and sub-regional associations interested in talks on free-trade agreements, from Asia to Latin America and Africa,” he said.
Grigory Karasin added that developing a partnership between the EAEU and the SCO is the most essential element of this dialogue. “The fact that the EAEU and the SCO countries are also members of other international structures opens opportunities for creating a broad integration contour that goes beyond Eurasia, including with BRICS’ involvement.”
The senator believes that, in the context of the EAEU-BRICS dialogue, the potential of integrating payment systems, using national currencies in mutual payments and cooperating in transport, logistics and energy is gaining particular relevance.
Clearly, the dialogue between the EAEU, the SCO and BRICS can become a platform for a broad partner network of regional associations, building a just world order and an inclusive space for economic stability.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin presented the keynote report. He spoke about the prospects of cooperation within the EAEU, BRICS and the SCO and noted the importance of strengthening the parliamentary component in these structures.
Other speakers included Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Volvach, members of the scientific community and experts. Russian senators Andrey Denisov, Sergei Kislyak, Farit Mukhametshin, Anna Otke and Grigoriy Rapota also took part in the roundtable meeting.