While there are similarities between the EU and BRICS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also stresses that the differences between the two are very large – and that BRICS should not be classified as an organization at all at the moment.
In recent years, BRICS has received increasing attention, including in Swedish news reports and political debates – while many may perceive that it is not entirely clear what kind of cooperation it is or how it differs from, for example, the European Union.
During the ongoing BRICS summit, Peskov stressed that, unlike the EU, BRICS today “does not have the necessary attributes to be considered an organization” – as it has neither a common charter nor any clearly defined and binding rules.
Instead, he says, it should be seen as an “association of countries that share common values and common guidelines” and committed to the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit without any “monocentrism”, reports Russian state broadcaster RT.
“Whole set of obligations”
The EU, on the other hand, is described as an organization that has numerous and very clearly defined statutes, laws and regulations, binding documents and “a whole set of mutual obligations”.
According to the Kremlin, BRICS’ sole objective is to pursue the mutual interests of the participating countries, and this is said to be what cooperation is based on.
Today, the 10-member group represents just under half of the world’s population, and just over a third of global gross domestic product, and it is reported that some 30 more countries have expressed interest in either joining or otherwise cooperating with BRICS.