A session of the BRICS Expert Council was held within the framework of the WEF
The session of the BRICS Expert Council "Expanded BRICS: New Components of Global Stability" was held within the framework of the WEF. The moderator was Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council, Vice Rector of the Higher School of Economics, Sherpa of Russia in the Women's Twenty. In her opening remarks, she stated that the current year has become a landmark year for the association, and the expansion of the BRICS in 2024 has increased the efficiency of its work.
Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council, Vice Rector of the Higher School of Economics
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Since January 1, 2024, BRICS has expanded. No one could even have expected before Johannesburg, even on the eve of the summit, that such a significant transformation would take place, and the BRICS would grow by almost half
Victoria Panova
Head of the BRICS Expert Council, Vice Rector of the Higher School of Economics
In the process of expansion, difficulties always arise that can negatively affect the work of organizations, but the authority of the BRICS has not collapsed at all, Victoria Panova noted. The new member countries of the association have not just integrated, but often offer their own initiatives.
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Given the diversity in traditions, religion, culture, political culture, and financial and economic approaches, it would seem that on the contrary, this should make the group's work impossible. But what makes BRICS effective is precisely its diversity.
Victoria Panova
Head of the BRICS Expert Council, Vice Rector of the Higher School of Economics
Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the HSE Center for Integrated European and International Studies, expert of the BRICS Country Analysis and Analysis of National Strategies working group of the BRICS—Russia Expert Council, believes that given both opportunities and risks, the BRICS is at a fork after expansion. He has 2 alternative ways of further development. The first way is to maintain and strengthen the intensity of cooperation and turn BRICS into the main driver and institution of global governance and reform in the interests of the global majority of the world, in the interests of developing countries. This is the vanguard of the global majority. The second alternative is to turn BRICS into a loose, heterogeneous, debating club in which it is prestigious to be, does not entail any obligations and where there is no decision—making mechanism.
Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the HSE Center for Integrated European and International Studies
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What should I do to follow the first path and avoid the second? There are 3 main priorities that will ensure movement along the first path. First, there is an increased focus on global governance issues, especially in the field of finance and the formation of a new settlement system between countries independent of the West. The second is to strengthen the BRICS flexibility in the framework of the agenda and cooperation projects. And the third is to slow down the expansion process and focus on strengthening partnerships.
Dmitry Suslov
Deputy Director of the HSE Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies
The year 2024 is a landmark in the history of the BRICS, many speakers noted. The expansion of the association not only opens up new windows of opportunity, but also poses complex challenges. Now the attention of the BRICS is focused on learning how to act in a new composition and integrate new members into the work of the association as quickly and effectively as possible. At the same time, there is a need to develop mechanisms to maintain stability and strengthen internal unity among the BRICS countries.
Also at the session were: Deputy Director General, Director of Asian Studies at the Institute of Political and International Studies Alireza Hoda Golipur, member of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Hewar Foundation for Studies and Humanities Research, Chairman of the Eurasia and BRICS Forum, member of the Advisory Board of the World Tourism Experts Forum Mohamed Salah, Senior banker at VEB.Russian Federation Sergey Storchak, Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Council of BRICS Research Centers Zhao Jing and Director for Development of the Foreign network of JSC Russian Export Center Dmitry Prokhorenko.