‘India, China ahead of United States and EU members in many respects’: Russian FM Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at length about the rise of new economic, financial, and political power centres, claiming that China and India are already ahead of the United States and EU members in a number of ways.

Lavrov said in his address to a joint news conference in Eritrea, taking a jab at the US, that the establishment of a multi-polar world is an objective and unstoppable process, and that the collective West, which includes NATO and the EU and is fully controlled by Washington, is now attempting to reverse this process.

 “The establishment of a multi-polar world is an objective and unstoppable process. The collective West – the United States, NATO and the EU, which are fully controlled by Washington – are trying to reverse this process. But these efforts are futile. The closest thing they can count on is a slight slowdown of the objective course of history,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said in an official statement quoting Lavrov.

“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,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov described Turkiye, Egypt, Persian Gulf countries, Brazil, and other Latin American countries as future multipolar centres, adding that these are emerging as influential and self-sufficient centres in the present.

During a joint news conference in Eritrea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed that the 15th BRICS summit will be held in Durban, South Africa, in late August this year.

Lavrov described BRICS as a manifestation of global multi-polarity, saying that rising regional identity in the world’s emerging regions does not mean that multi-polarity is not occurring on a global scale.

“This organisation unites five countries, with more than 12 others showing 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,” Lavrov said.

Since 2009, the leaders of the BRICS countries have held 14 formal and 9 informal meetings. The BRIC presidents met for the first time in Russia in June 2009, elevating BRIC cooperation to the Summit level.
In June 2009, the BRIC leaders met for the first time in Russia, boosting BRIC cooperation to Summit status.

The fifth annual BRICS summit was place earlier this year in Durban, South Africa. It was attended by the leaders of the five member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.