Vietnam advocates role of multilateral co-operation mechanisms in BRICS

This represents an important meeting for the group this year as it features the participation of leaders of more than 30 countries and many organisations and regions.

The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) interviewed Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi about this content.
VOV: Could you please tell us about the significance and importance of the working visit of PM Chinh and his delegation to the expanded BRICS summit in Kazan city of the Russian Federation from October 23 to October 24?

Ambassador: PM Chinh's working trip is a high-level foreign activity of great significance, affirming the nation’s consistent external policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification of foreign relations, and proactive and active international integration.

The country’s participation at the event also conveys the Vietnamese message of supporting the role of multilateral co-operation forums and mechanisms, including BRICS, operating on the basis of respect for the UN Charter in accordance with international law and promoting the voice and representation of developing countries in common global issues, thereby contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

On this occasion, PM Chinh is scheduled to meet with many leaders of other countries and international organisations to hold in-depth discussions on comprehensive measures aimed at boosting ties in areas of shared concern.

The working trip takes place amid Russia holding the rotating presidency of BRICS, demonstrating that the Vietnamese sides highly values ​​the special relationship that exists between the two.

During the working trip, the Vietnamese Government chief will hold meetings and talks with senior Russian leaders and meet with Russian economic organisations to discuss major directions and specific issues with a view to stepping up collaboration between the two countries in the current situation. Indeed, talks will especially focus on resolving difficulties and obstacles in trade, energy, education, as well as science and technology.

The meetings will also help to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership towards the 75th anniversary of both nations’ diplomatic ties in early 2025.

VOV: How does the Ambassador assess the role of BRICS in today's world?

Ambassador: BRIC was first established in 2006 at the foreign ministerial level, initially including the four countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, then upgraded to a summit in 2009.

Over the past 20 years, BRIC has made strong progress. In 2010, BRIC added South Africa and from January 1 it added five more members in the form of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

With the expansion of its membership, BRICS is truly becoming an international organisation with high representation of developing countries and emerging economies, with global scale, and increasingly influential in politics, economics, and security, thus capturing the attention of many states around the world. This clearly shows that the number of partner nations and participating countries at this BRICS meeting is increasing.

What is special is that BRICS currently has two permanent members of the UN Security Council, six members of the G20, and many members are middle-sized countries. In terms of economic scale, BRICS brings together many emerging economies and dynamic developing economies.

To date, BRICS contributes about 37% of global GDP, in terms of purchasing power parity. It also accounts for nearly 50% of the global population, 49% of wheat production, 43% of global oil production, and 25% of global exports.

Most notably, according to World Bank statistics, in the BRICS bloc, there are three leading countries in terms of purchasing power parity, of which China is the world leader with a scale of US$35,000 billion.

VOV: Russia currently holds the rotating presidency of BRICS. Could you please give some comments on the co-operation between Vietnam and BRICS this year?

Ambassador: In 2024, as the rotating chair of BRICS, Russia pays great attention to expanding the influence of the bloc. Russia considers organising activities within the framework of BRICS, especially this year's summit in Kazan, to be Russia's largest foreign policy activity in recent years. It also prioritises ramping up ties in three major areas, including politics - security, economics – finance,  and culture - people-to-people exchanges under the motto of "Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security".

This year, Russia has plans to launch roughly 250 activities, including 20 at a ministerial level, whilst it has so far carried out 85% of them and invited many countries to participate. As a result, Vietnam has been invited to engage in numerous activities, typically since May, with the Russian President having sent an invitation to high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to attend this expanded BRICS Summit. In addition, we participate in many co-operation activities on both state and party channels.

For the Vietnamese side, although this is the first time PM Chinh has attended the BRICS Summit, we have enjoyed close relations with many BRICS member countries. For example, we have enjoyed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China since 2008, with Russia in 2012, and with India in 2016.

China has become the nation’s largest trading partner. Economic and trade co-operation with Russia remains modest, but this is our leading partner for energy, as well as oil and gas.

I hope that, after PM Chinh’s working trip and participation in the expanded BRICS Summit in Kazan from October 23 to October 24, co-operation between Vietnam and the BRICS bloc will enjoy new developments, serving the country’s economic development needs as a contribution to maintaining peace and development in the region and around the world.

VOV: Thank you very much.