Lukashenko: collective West launched fierce struggle to downgrade BRICS status
The collective West has launched a fierce struggle to downgrade the status of BRICS – as stated by President Aleksandr Lukashenko in an interview with Izvestia on the side-lines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, BelTA reports
“Some announced joining the BRICS, and then took a break. This, among other things, indicates that a fierce campaign has been launched against BRICS. The United States of America, the collective West (they call themselves that) have begun a struggle to lower the BRICS status. We know the examples. There is pressure. I will not name these countries, because this is classified information. They may say that this is not the case, but we know,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Moreover, these are countries with which Russia and we have good relations. That is, there is pressure that ‘if you are in BRICS, then we will not trade with you, you will not receive investments, loans, and we will create difficulties and troubles for you’.”
The Head of State was asked about his statement at the summit that BRICS is the community of the future. “There is more wishful thinking than reality here. I somehow hesitated, thinking whether to say this is not. But still, hope dies last. I really wish that at this time there was at least hope for the future of BRICS. As you know, there are enough contradictions there. The club unites different, large countries, which have their own contradictions,” the Belarusian leader added.
He described Russia’s successful BRICS presidency as ‘timely and very effective’, “Russia found itself in such a situation together with us, Belarus, when, whether we like it or not, it is necessary to solve common issues that concern and will concern the BRICS countries in the future. These are issues of concern to China, India, and so on.”
For example, one of these topics is the creation of new payment systems, alternative to Western ones, so as not to depend on sanctions. “We have to offer a parallel payment system. Some states react to this in the following way: ‘it doesn’t concern us, and that’s fine’. What if it does concern you tomorrow?” the Belarusian leader asked a rhetorical question. “Isn’t this attack, the arrogance of the Americans with the arrest of Russian gold and foreign exchange reserves a signal to no one?”
“Therefore, I supported Russians that they proposed to solve a number of specific issues. Have we accepted them [within the BRICS framework]? No. For various reasons that I have outlined, including thinking, hoping, relying on luck...,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
