BRICS club pursues strength in unity and numbers with ‘historic’ expansion plan

Special BRICS club pursues strength in unity and numbers with ‘historic’ expansion plan
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Leaders and senior officials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa meet in Johannesburg on the final day of the 15th BRICS summit on August 24, 2023. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shalhoub)
Special BRICS club pursues strength in unity and numbers with ‘historic’ expansion plan
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Leaders and senior officials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa meet in Johannesburg on the final day of the 15th BRICS summit on August 24, 2023. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shalhoub)
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Updated 25 August 2023
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BRICS club pursues strength in unity and numbers with ‘historic’ expansion plan

BRICS club pursues strength in unity and numbers with ‘historic’ expansion plan
  • Invitations for Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE came on the final day of the 15th BRICS summit
  • The Kingdom, which already enjoys strong relations with individual BRICS nations, is yet to decide on membership

JOHANNESBURG: The eagerly anticipated expansion of BRICS began on Thursday after existing members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed to formally invite Saudi Arabia and five other emerging economies to join the bloc. 

“We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process and other phases will follow,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, the final day of the 15th annual BRICS summit, which was held in Johannesburg.

“We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS.

“We have tasked our foreign ministers to further develop the BRICS country model and a list of prospective partner countries and report by the next summit.”

Saudi Arabia, which already enjoys strong diplomatic and trade relations with individual BRICS nations, is yet to make a decision on whether to join the bloc.

 

 

A previous expansion of BRICS took place in 2010, during Brazil’s presidency of the summit, when South Africa was invited to join what was then known as BRIC.

Day three of the BRICS summit began on Thursday with a media briefing during which the heads of state of the five member nations announced the outcomes of the summit and the membership expansion plan.

“This summit reaffirmed the importance of BRICS people-to-people exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation,” said Ramaphosa.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, said: “Our diversity strengthens the fight for a new international order.




Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the summit as China's Xi Jinping listens.  (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shalhoub)

“Now the gross domestic product of BRICS is going up to 37 percent of the world’s GDP in terms of purchasing power and 46 percent in terms of world population.

“The relevance of BRICS is confirmed by the growing interest that other countries demonstrate to join our group.”

The group will remain open to requests from other potential members to join, and the criteria for doing so will be defined, he added.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “On the 15th anniversary of BRICS we have taken an important decision to expand it. I’m confident that together with these countries, we will be able to infuse new momentum and new energy into our cooperation.”




South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the meeting on August 24 as Russian FM Sergei Lavrov looks on.   (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shalhoub)

The first BRICS summit took place in June 2009. This year’s gathering also marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the BRICS Business Council.

Xi Jinping, the president of China, said that the future is bright for BRICS nations and the expansion will bring a renewed “vigor” to its cooperation mechanisms.

“Further strengthening the force for world peace and development, the leaders of the five countries unanimously agreed to invite Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran and Ethiopia to the BRICS family as official members,” he said.

“China congratulates these countries and highly appreciates the efforts made by our chair, South Africa, and President Ramaphosa. This membership expansion is historic.”

He said it shows the determination of members to pursue unity and cooperation with the wider group of developing nations and added: “It meets the common interests of emerging market countries and developing countries.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that members will continue to work to “expand the influence of BRICS in the world.”

On Tuesday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington does not see “BRICS as evolving into some kind of geopolitical rival to the US or anyone else.”

He added: “We will continue to work on the strong positive relationships we have with Brazil, India and South Africa, we will continue to manage our relationship with China, and we will continue to push back on Russia’s aggression. But from our perspective … we do not look at this group through geopolitical terms.”

In other developments on the final day of the summit, Ramaphosa said that BRICS will work to develop a more fair global financial architecture. Discussions will take place among the leaders of member nations on topics such as local currencies, payment instruments and platforms, and they will report back on the outcomes at the next summit.

Members also adopted the Johannesburg Declaration II on reforms of economic policies, sustainable development, and the reform of multilateral systems.

The summit welcomed 65 leaders from countries in Africa and the Global South to a BRICS+ dialog session, as part of the BRICS Africa Outreach initiative. Ramaphosa said the aim of the session was to promote inclusive dialogue on key issues affecting developing economies.

One of the speakers during the session was Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who said the Kingdom is working to stabilize energy markets and has a good strategic relationship with BRICS members.

“The Kingdom enjoys strong friendship, trade relations and strategic partnerships with all the countries of the group,” he said.

Prince Faisal added that Saudi Arabia is making progress in its efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and has set lofty targets for its relationship with BRICS members.

“The Kingdom intends to be the largest trading partner of the BRICS group in the Middle East,” he said.

“The total bilateral trade with the countries of the group exceeded $160 billion in the year 2022, which reflects a strong relationship with the group, and we look forward to developing this cooperation, which creates new development opportunities that elevate our relations towards a hoped-for ambition.”

The Kingdom is keen to live up to its responsibilities to develop and sustain international cooperation within BRICS, he said.

“We look forward to this summit paving the way for a more effective partnership and progress between our countries, and our efforts contributing to expanding areas of cooperation in a way that maximizes common interests and enhances peace and international cooperation.”

In response to the announcement of the BRICS expansion plans, Prince Faisal told media organization Al-Arabiya that the Kingdom appreciates the invitation to join the group, will study the details and “take the appropriate decision.”

The group is “a beneficial and important channel” for strengthening economic cooperation, he added.

In a message posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Jasem Albudaiwi, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, offered his sincere congratulations to the leaderships and peoples of the UAE and Saudi Arabia on their invitations to join BRICS. 

He described the development as an important indication of the significance and strength of GCC decisions.

During his presentation of the summit’s final declaration, Ramaphosa said that this historic moment for BRICS is only the first phase of its expansion plans, and that he hopes the invited nations will be members by January 2024.

The foreign ministers of member states have been tasked with further developing the BRICS country model, with a list of prospective partner countries to be presented during next year’s summit, which is due to take place in Kazan, Russia.

 


Heavy rains kill at least 12 before storm Michaung makes landfall on India's southeast coast

Heavy rains kill at least 12 before storm Michaung makes landfall on India's southeast coast
Updated 05 December 2023
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Heavy rains kill at least 12 before storm Michaung makes landfall on India's southeast coast

Heavy rains kill at least 12 before storm Michaung makes landfall on India's southeast coast
  • India’s coasts are no stranger to cyclones, but changing climate patterns have caused them to become more intense
  • In June, Cyclone Biparjoy forced both India and Pakistan to move thousands living in coastal areas to temporary shelters

HYDERABAD: Twelve people died in the downpour before Tropical Storm Michaung made landfall along India's southeast coast Tuesday, bringing further torrential rains and strong winds, officials said. 

The storm entered Andhra Pradesh state with maximum sustained winds of 90-100 kph (56-62 mph) and gusts up to 110 kph (68 mph), the Indian Meteorological Department said, adding that the storm would weaken over the next few hours. 

Authorities were on high alert for heavy showers over the next 24 hours. 

Another state in the south, Tamil Nadu, experienced days of heavy rains ahead of the storm. Downpours triggered accidents that led to at least 12 deaths across vulnerable districts, officials told the Press Trust of India news agency. 

In Tamil Nadu's capital city of Chennai, rain from the storm's outer reaches caused walls to collapse, uprooted trees and submerged roads and cars in knee-deep waters. 

Videos on Monday showed water streaming onto the city’s airport tarmac, forcing authorities to temporarily shut it down and cancel flights. The downpours have since begun to recede, and the airport has reopened, but many parts of the city remained flooded Tuesday. 

Rains also pounded parts of Odisha state in the east, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or severe damage. 

In Andhra Pradesh, where the storm made landfall near Ongole district, officials shut down schools and evacuated more than 9,000 people from coastal and low-lying areas. 

Parts of the state saw as much as 390 millimeters (15.4 inches) of rain Tuesday morning before the storm closed in, putting officials on high alert as winds uprooted trees and damaged crops. 

India's Meteorological Department said rains could continue over the next few days. Michaung is listed as a Severe Cyclonic Storm in the department's cyclone classification system due to its wind speed. 

In Tamil Nadu, authorities set up thousands of relief camps in coastal areas. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force and other agencies sent rescuers with boats to evacuate hundreds of people stranded on roads and inside flooded homes. Officials, who declared a public holiday in districts affected by the storm, urged residents to stay indoors. 

In June, rain pelted the shores of western India and southern Pakistan as Cyclone Biparjoy pushed into the coast, prompting both countries to move more than 100,000 people to shelters. 

India’s coasts are no stranger to cyclones, but changing climate patterns have caused them to become more intense, making preparations for natural disasters more urgent. 


Bangladesh eyes halal exports boost to Gulf countries with new policy 

Bangladesh eyes halal exports boost to Gulf countries with new policy 
Updated 05 December 2023
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Bangladesh eyes halal exports boost to Gulf countries with new policy 

Bangladesh eyes halal exports boost to Gulf countries with new policy 
  • Government launched inaugural policy on halal certification in November  
  • New policy serves as formal guideline for companies to align with international halal standards  

DHAKA: Bangladesh is working on tapping into the global halal market and increasing exports to Gulf countries, the Bangladesh Islamic Foundation said on Tuesday following the government’s inaugural policy on halal certification.  

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Religious Affairs approved last month a halal certification policy, which serves as a formal guideline and incentive for companies to align with international halal standards, paving the way for the South Asian nation to harness the potential of the global halal market, which is worth over $2 trillion.  

“This halal certification is very important for us since we are a Muslim country and 92 percent of our consumers are Muslim … Now, we will be able to explore the export potential of our halal goods,” Abu Saleh Patwary, deputy director of the halal certification department at the Bangladesh Islamic Foundation, told Arab News on Tuesday.  

The BIF is a body under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which has worked on halal certification matters since 2007 and is now in charge of issuing halal certificates in Bangladesh.  

“Saudi Arabia and the UAE can be the major destination for our halal goods … We will be aiming to increase exports to Muslim countries, especially in the Gulf region,” he said.  

“If we can grab 2 to 3 percent of global halal markets, it will boost our economy a lot … Now, a new horizon of halal goods has opened up for our local entrepreneurs.” 

The policy comes at a time when Bangladeshi businesses are also exploring new opportunities with Gulf nations, such as Saudi Arabia, which a delegation comprising the country’s top business leaders visited earlier in October.  

Jahangir Alam, director at the Dhaka School of Economics, said halal certification was imperative to enter the Middle Eastern market.  

“Most Muslim countries want halal certification to import consumer goods. It’s particularly hard to sell goods in Middle Eastern countries without halal certification. For this reason, we need the halal certification very much,” Alam told Arab News, adding that it will help boost the presence of Bangladeshi products internationally.  

The process to obtain those certifications should be “easy and hassle-free,” Alam added, to ensure that Bangladeshis can reap the benefits of such a policy.  

“The introduction of halal certification will boost sales of goods both locally and globally. Eventually, it will increase the earnings of our foreign currency. It’s a great initiative.”  


Saudi Arabia to open new visa centers, introduce flights for Indian pilgrims

Saudi Arabia to open new visa centers, introduce flights for Indian pilgrims
Updated 05 December 2023
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Saudi Arabia to open new visa centers, introduce flights for Indian pilgrims

Saudi Arabia to open new visa centers, introduce flights for Indian pilgrims
  • More than 1.2m Indian pilgrims visited Saudi Arabia for Umrah in 2023
  • Hajj ‘important aspect’ of Saudi-India bilateral relations: Indian minister

NEW DELHI: Saudi Arabia will open new visa centers in India and introduce budget flights to facilitate the increasing number of Indian pilgrims in their Umrah journeys, Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said on Tuesday.

Al-Rabiah is in New Delhi as part of an official trip aimed at strengthening collaboration with Indian officials and partners and streamlining Umrah pilgrimage for international pilgrims.

As part of its Vision 2030 reform plan, the Kingdom has utilized technological advancements, enhanced measures, and upgraded infrastructure to “transform Umrah into a rewarding religious expedition” for Muslims worldwide, Al-Rabiah pointed out during a joint press conference in the Indian capital.

With more than 200 million people professing Islam in India, the Hindu-majority country has the world’s largest Muslim-minority population.

In 2023, the number of Umrah pilgrims from India increased by around 74 percent compared to last year, surpassing 1.2 million people.

That increase was the result of Saudi-India collaborative efforts, Al-Rabiah noted, adding that the two countries had initiated discussions to increase direct flights between them “to accommodate an increasing number of Indians looking to perform Umrah.”

“We’re also focused on enhancing capacity to meet the anticipated increase by introducing new scheduled flights through Saudi low-cost airlines, flynas and flyadeal,” he said.

“These efforts are complemented by initiatives to streamline visa issuance procedures and establish three new visa centers in India.”

Indian minority affairs minister, Smriti Irani, who held talks with Al-Rabiah on Tuesday, said they had “productive discussions on how to further deepen engagements,” particularly on their cooperation for Hajj pilgrimage.

“Both nations have agreed to continue to work together to make the Hajj process as convenient and as seamless as possible with best provision of services for all Hajj pilgrims,” Irani told reporters at the press conference.

Under the 2023 Hajj quota, around 175,000 Indians – nearly 47 percent of whom were women – traveled to Saudi Arabia for the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam.

India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Vellamvelly Muraleedharan, said Al-Rabiah’s visit would “bolster the overall bilateral partnership” between the two countries, adding that Hajj was an “important aspect” of that relationship.

“There is a mutual recognition that our partnership will not only be beneficial to our countries and communities … but will be valuable to the region and the world,” Muraleedharan added.


US returns $1 million in stolen antiquities to Nepal

US returns $1 million in stolen antiquities to Nepal
Updated 05 December 2023
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US returns $1 million in stolen antiquities to Nepal

US returns $1 million in stolen antiquities to Nepal
  • One of the items was seized as part of a probe into Subhash Kapoor who helped traffic items from Asian countries
  • In recent years, New York museums have returned over 1,000 pieces worth $190mln to 19 states, including Pakistan

NEW YORK: The United States has returned four antiquities worth $1 million to Nepal, including a pair of gilt copper masks representing a Hindu deity, following anti-trafficking operations, New York authorities said on Monday. 

One of the items was seized as part of a probe into Subhash Kapoor, whom Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described as an “allegedly prolific looter who helped traffic items” from several Asian countries. 

Between 2011 and 2023, officials claim to have recovered more than 2,500 items trafficked by Kapoor and his network, Bragg’s office said in a statement. 

“The total value of the pieces recovered exceeds $143 million,” it added. 

“We will continue to target antiquities trafficking networks no matter how complex. I thank our outstanding team of analysts and attorneys... for recovering and returning these beautiful pieces,” Bragg said. 

The four items given back to Nepalese authorities were handed over at a ceremony in New York. 

“The return of these illegally exported four masterpieces is a significant step in reclaiming Nepal’s cultural heritage and preserving its historical treasures,” said Nepal’s acting consul general in New York Bishnu Prasad Gautam. 

The masks, from the 16th century and collectively valued at $900,000, depict Shiva, part of the Hindu trinity. 

“Both masks were stolen in the mid-1990s as part of a series of break-in robberies from the home of the family” whose relatives made them, Bragg’s office said. 

In recent years, the New York’s Met and other prestigious museums have agreed to return trafficked works, in particular pieces from countries riddled by conflict from 1970 to 1990. 

Under Bragg, who has been in office since 2022, more than 1,000 pieces worth $190 million have been returned to 19 countries, including Cambodia, China, India and Pakistan.


China says Afghan Taliban must reform before full diplomatic ties

China says Afghan Taliban must reform before full diplomatic ties
Updated 05 December 2023
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China says Afghan Taliban must reform before full diplomatic ties

China says Afghan Taliban must reform before full diplomatic ties
  • Beijing does not formally recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, although both countries host ambassadors
  • Taliban government has not been officially recognized by any country since seizing power in August 2021

Beijing: China said on Tuesday Afghanistan’s Taliban government will need to introduce political reforms, improve security and mend relations with its neighbors before receiving full diplomatic recognition.

Beijing does not formally recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, although both countries host each others’ ambassadors and have maintained diplomatic engagement.

“China has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday when asked if China would now recognize the Taliban government.

“We hope that Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure (and) implement moderate and stable domestic and foreign policies,” he said.

Wang also said China urged Kabul to “resolutely combat all types of terrorist forces, live in harmony with all countries around the world, especially neighboring countries, and integrate with the international community at an early date.”

“As the concerns of all parties receive stronger responses, diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will naturally follow,” he said.

The Taliban government has not been officially recognized by any country since seizing power after the chaotic withdrawal of US troops in August 2021.

However, Kabul and Beijing have maintained some ties.

Afghanistan’s new rulers have promised the country would not be used as a base for militants and, in exchange, China has offered economic support and investment for reconstruction.

China’s foreign ministry said in a position paper on Afghanistan released this year that it “respects the independent choices made by the Afghan people, and respects the religious beliefs and national customs.”