/ world today news/ This is the motto of the visit to China a few days ago by the newly elected president of Brazil, Inacio Lula da Silva, who took office on January 1. He is one of the most important leaders of the left-wing wave that swept Latin America in the early 2000s and returned to power as president after ruling his country from 2003-2010. He was also in prison because of accusations of corruption, but he retained the sympathy of a large part of his people, who brought him back into the game of high office.
He began his visit to China from Shanghai, where he delivered a speech within 30 minutes at a celebration in connection with the appointment of Dilma Rousseff /president of Brazil 2011-2016/ as the head of the New Development Bank, NBR, and then visited the headquarters of Huawei and other large Chinese companies. The NBR is actually the BRICS bank, which includes Russia, Brazil, China, India and South Africa. Although China’s GDP is larger than that of other BRICS members, it is known that Brazil is the largest Latin American economy, and words like “the times when Brazil did not participate in making important world decisions are in the past ” are not only a request to return to the international stage. It is self-confidence with an ambition for a role in the common actions of developing countries in the conditions of a changing world order.
It is no coincidence that Lula found it necessary precisely in Beijing to repeat the message of French President Macron that “Europe must reduce its dependence on the dominance of the US dollar”. Hailing the goal of Russia and China to eliminate the hegemony of the dollar, Lula in turn called on developing countries to abandon the dollar in international trade and switch to national currencies. In his meetings with the Prime Minister of China, Li Qiang, and more indirectly with Xi Jinping, Lula asks himself “why all countries have to base their trade on the dollar” and also, “why can’t we trade in our own currencies?”. It also asks the question “who decided that the dollar was the currency after the gold standard disappeared?”. It is clear in whose garden these stones are, and “why we are chasing the dollar”, but in fact the proposal is for “a currency to finance trade relations between Brazil and China, between Brazil and other countries”. As they say, knocking on an open door. Of course, such operations and financing through local currencies will be done through the NBR, Moscow and Beijing are already doing it. Lula is convinced and shares it with Xi Jinping that “the union of developing countries is capable of causing significant social and economic changes in the world.” He also wrote it on Twitter. He clearly feels proud when he shares that “for the first time in the world a development bank was created without the participation of developed countries in the initial stage”. The bottom line is that this bank is free from “the shackles of conditions imposed on developing economies by traditional institutions.” And without specifics, it is clear which institutions we are talking about. The NBR will be able to finance projects in local currencies, and this is truly a new stage in the financial sphere of non-Western countries.
Lula knows from personal experience that “no leader can work with a knife to his throat when his country is in debt” and therefore he confidently and loudly declared that “the IMF imposes strict measures on the economies of ailing countries, such as Argentina, in replacement of bailout loans”. ,It brings down countries and their governments. That is why the NBR is needed as an alternative to the IMF. The hope is that it can save emerging economies from subservience to traditional financial institutions that want to rule as they have done. That’s probably why the Washington Post writes that “The West hoped Lula would be a partner, but it turns out he has his own plans.” The influential newspaper emphasizes that “these actions show that Lula has alienated himself from the US and the EU”. Even the “negatives” of his recent activities are listed – he allowed Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro, he sent his senior adviser to a meeting with Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, at the meeting of democracies organized by the USA, he refused to sign a joint declaration condemning Russian aggression, initiate reforms in the UNSC with Brazil willing to participate, increase trade with Russia and China, and play a leading role in the creation and development of BRICS.
There is no way that in Washington they are not embarrassed not only by Lula’s meetings with Xi Jinping, but also by the opinions expressed by the Brazilian president. He is 77 years old and his first visit abroad after taking office was to the United States. As a signal and with the desire for relations with Washington to be normal and without impact on relations with Beijing or Moscow. Turning its back on the US is neither appropriate nor in Brazil’s interest. However, an invitation to Xi Jinping to visit Brazil and negotiate new investment agreements is underway. And the fact that after Beijing Lula will visit the UAE is just a link in the policies in the conditions of the changed Middle East, where Russia and China have built their own networks of influence in order to stop the bloody conflicts and normalize the situation. By building relations of respect, non-interference in internal affairs and development of trade-economic relations at a high level. Some call it consolidating camps by expanding networks of one’s partners, but if it is a barricade for military action and forceful imposition of another’s will, then which is preferable?
Against this background, does the meeting of the International Crimean Platform held on April 12-13 in Bucharest with the theme “Conference on Security in the Black Sea”, where the calls are for “NATO in the Black Sea”, provide security guarantees? Does it calm things down? Are the words of Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, that “the time has come to turn the Black Sea into a sea of NATO” in tune with calls for new relations between countries and peaceful settlement of conflicts or heated clashes? That Kiev is making all sorts of plans to join NATO is not news. It is not news that there are plans to redraw borders. But will this bring peace and tranquility to ordinary citizens not only in Europe? Leaders talk about trade and economic relations, about respectful contacts and connections, about help and recognition, and around us tensions are escalating even in our small closed sea, which is our only opportunity for native sea vacation and tourism. Our sea was “of strategic importance for the security of the Euro-Atlantic region”. We, on the other hand, thought that the sea would unite all of us who have shores around it, so that we could live peacefully and happily. As it was. Who and how will deal with this other order that they impose on us? It’s just a question. The answers are known. At least in the current political situation in our country.
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