BEIJING, January 20 ( Asia Free Press): The five BRICS countries should safeguard the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries and play a more significant role in upholding multilateralism, enhancing anti-pandemic cooperation and boosting economic recovery, said China’s BRICS Sherpa and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu.
Ma made the remarks while hosting 2022, the First BRICS Sherpas’ meeting held via video conference in Beijing, China, CGTN reported.
“As the chair of the BRICS this year, China is willing to work with all sides to facilitate the building of a more comprehensive, closer, more practical and more inclusive BRICS partnership centring on the theme of ‘forming a high-quality partnership to jointly create a new era of global development’ for stronger, greener and sounder global development,” Ma told the meeting, which was also attended by the BRICS Sherpas of Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa as well as representatives of relevant departments of China.
At present, global development is lagging, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is facing more challenges against the backdrop of current global development challenges, Ma said while adding that “we will make extra efforts to put development on the top of our agenda.”
India was the chair last year when priorities were put on reforms of the multilateral system, counter-terrorism cooperation, sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges.
India’s BRICS Sherpa Sanjay Bhattacharyya said that “last year, we saw a significant achievement that our foreign ministers brought about in terms of the document on the strengthening and reform of the multilateral systems.”
“This issue of global governance, particularly the UN systems and other institutions, is extremely important. I am happy that we shall continue to attach high importance to its continued relevance,” he added.
On January 1, China officially took over the BRICS chairmanship and will host a series of activities this year, including the 14th BRICS Summit in June.
