The most interesting topics for Belarus in cooperation with the BRICS format may be finance and logistics, and Minsk has its own proposals in these areas.
On October 22-24, Kazan will host the BRICS Summit with the participation of the Heads of State. Belarus is expecting to receive the a BRICS partner status on it.
In the current conditions, Belarus' interest in BRICS is based on the requests that have been formed in relation to regional associations as a whole. Today, the issues of the financial sector, logistics, and technological development are on the agenda of almost all states.
It cannot be said that these are completely new problems and there is no experience in solving them. However, the external conditions have changed qualitatively. Economic globalization has formed a platform for political interference in the internal affairs of states, created instruments of pressure, coercion, and dependence. Therefore, the transition of these problems to the security category has become inevitable, which means that solutions will also be of a completely different quality.
Belarus, like most countries of the world, needs to create mechanisms that would allow not only to maintain an economic balance, but also to ensure a sustainable future for the country.
It should be understood that the BRICS group has specific features. It cannot be subjected to conventional requirements as an association that has a clear structure, principles, and mechanisms of interaction. Out of habit, many experts talk about joining the BRICS. However, it may be more about joining approaches, visions, and development directions. This means that each of the countries must come with their own luggage. BRICS is an invaluable experience in building a political dialogue and creating new economic formats in the context of the global crisis.
The Belarusian proposal for BRICS is based primarily on existing experience in the fields of finance and logistics. By joint efforts, Belarus and Russia have created an effective settlement mechanism in national currencies. Many BRICS member countries are moving in this direction. Equally important for the group are projects in the field of import substitution, which are implemented on the basis of Belarusian industrial enterprises. Belarus is accumulating assets in terms of solving logistics problems. It is obvious that this segment within the framework of the BRICS is getting a new sound. For Belarus, BRICS means not only the expansion of partnerships in the economic sphere, but also timely involvement in global development topics, readiness to take responsibility for the formation of new political meanings and economic solutions.
In an era of global crisis, it is especially important to have associations that have the potential for development. A lot of hopes are pinned on BRICS today. Many countries of the world express serious concern not so much about the proliferation of crisis phenomena in the economy and politics, but rather that the former dialogue platforms have lost their credibility. Meanwhile, the BRICS is turning into a multi-format platform within which it is possible to formulate common goals and propose ways to implement them.
For small and medium-sized countries, the issue of the future world order is a cornerstone. That is why it is so important, including for Belarus, to get involved in the process of its formation in time.