Sunday, December 11, 2005
Russia to chair G8 in 2006?
Russia's chairmanship of the G8 in 2006 is under threat from a few senators and congressmen in the United States. These people claim that Russia has an unacceptable culture.
It is worth reflecting though that the countries reckoned to be economic giants in about forty years - the BRICS countries - will also be culturally different. Only one is currently a member of the G8. The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - Iran and Venezuela are observers. They are reported to have 75% of the world’s population and 80% of the natural resources.
Moreover, "Washington and London are desperately looking to Putin to deal with pariah states such as Syria and Iran. . . It started after 9/11, when Putin became an important ally in the war on terror by letting the US military operate out of bases in central Asia."
Update
1. Putin Seeks Membership of Asian Business Club: Russia is disillusioned with its role of outsider in European integration and keen to get on board a similar process in Asia. "The process of globalization is beginning to have an Asian look about it," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his annual foreign policy review. "This makes the fast-developing Asia-Pacific region a top priority for us." Asian countries are looking to Russia to provide much of the energy for their booming industries.
2. BRIC nations: No one should doubt the economic [and political] resilience of the US and Western Europe, except that it rests on multinational corporations that are moving production, capital and jobs around the world willy-nilly. More capital is sure to bolster the BRIC nations and re-align income and life-standard globally. Growing economic prowess by these new players will lead them to clamor for better recognition in international [political] forums like the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organization (WTO). In global trade talks exporters from poor countries are now teaming up with India, China and Brazil to argue against agricultural subsidies in European Union and US.
It is worth reflecting though that the countries reckoned to be economic giants in about forty years - the BRICS countries - will also be culturally different. Only one is currently a member of the G8. The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - Iran and Venezuela are observers. They are reported to have 75% of the world’s population and 80% of the natural resources.
Moreover, "Washington and London are desperately looking to Putin to deal with pariah states such as Syria and Iran. . . It started after 9/11, when Putin became an important ally in the war on terror by letting the US military operate out of bases in central Asia."
Update
1. Putin Seeks Membership of Asian Business Club: Russia is disillusioned with its role of outsider in European integration and keen to get on board a similar process in Asia. "The process of globalization is beginning to have an Asian look about it," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his annual foreign policy review. "This makes the fast-developing Asia-Pacific region a top priority for us." Asian countries are looking to Russia to provide much of the energy for their booming industries.
2. BRIC nations: No one should doubt the economic [and political] resilience of the US and Western Europe, except that it rests on multinational corporations that are moving production, capital and jobs around the world willy-nilly. More capital is sure to bolster the BRIC nations and re-align income and life-standard globally. Growing economic prowess by these new players will lead them to clamor for better recognition in international [political] forums like the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organization (WTO). In global trade talks exporters from poor countries are now teaming up with India, China and Brazil to argue against agricultural subsidies in European Union and US.
# posted by IJ @ 5:08 AM 
