Former Indian diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar said BRICS was emerging as a platform for cooperation rather than confrontation and strongly endorsed proposals put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling them excellent ideas that the group should consider and take forward.
"The most important element, as I see, is that BRICS is emerging as a body of cooperation and collaboration. It doesn't want to confront, even as far as the West is concerned or, you know, any other bodies. And what President Xi Jinping has referred, what he has proposed, I think these are all excellent ideas which the BRICS, I'm sure, will look at and try to take them forward positively," Sajjanhar, who previously served as India's ambassador to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia, told China Global Television Network (CGTN) in an interview in New Delhi.
Speaking on the second day of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a partnership among BRICS special economic zones, a BRICS Forum on Trade in Services to be held in China next year, and an open-source artificial intelligence initiative to advance cooperation in trade, innovation and development.
BRICS began as a dialogue among Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006, with South Africa joining in 2011. It has since developed mechanisms for cooperation in areas including trade, finance, science and technology.
Former Indian diplomat sees BRICS as emerging platform for cooperation
Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent remarks advocating for enhanced cooperation among BRICS countries help amplify the voice of the Global South in global governance, said an Egyptian expert.
In his address on the second day of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, Xi called on BRICS countries to strengthen unity among the Global South and play an active, stabilizing and positive role in global affairs.
Xi also outlined concrete proposals to further strengthen greater BRICS cooperation, with a focus on emerging areas including artificial intelligence, trade, digital industries and manufacturing.
Ahmed Qandeel, deputy director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said Xi's remarks are widely acclaimed in Egypt as they align with the country's vision of a more just and representative international order for the Global South.
"Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposals on BRICS' role in development have been highly commended, as they align with Egypt's vision of establishing an international system that is more equitable and representative of the Global South nations -- a system that is grounded in the principle of respect for national sovereignty. This entails reforming global governance institutions and ensuring that nations of the Global South have a voice that effectively articulates their interests, including regarding trade conducted in local currencies," said Qandeel.
Xi's call for stronger BRICS cooperation helps amplify Global South's voice: Egyptian expert
