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Nusa Dua - Brazil does not want to see the Brics - Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa - group of emerging countries enlarged
for the time being, but does want the developing world to be given a greater
say in international bodies, the country's Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota
said on Wednesday.
Patriota told Reuters in an interview the Brics grouping was
fine as it was, brushing off a suggestion Indonesia may be admitted to the
club.
"I think our own preference would be to consolidate the
Brics' brand with its current membership,” he said, speaking on the Indonesian
resort island of Bali.
"We would rather consolidate the current composition of
Brics and maybe engage as 'Brics plus' with additional partners," Patriota
said, on the sidelines of a meeting of Southeast Asian nations, attended by
Brazil for the first time to sign a cooperation agreement with ASEAN.
This "is not to say that we are ascribing any lesser
importance to our relationship with Indonesia and the ASEAN countries that
share, in addition to a similar degree of economic development and similar
challenges, many other characteristics".
South Africa was admitted to the group earlier this year at
a Brics summit in China. Other countries economists and diplomats have
mentioned as future members include Mexico and Turkey.
The Brics, who represent around one-fifth of the world's
economy, have emerged as a powerful new voice in the world, at least on
economic issues, though they have shown less ability to coordinate on trickier
diplomatic matters like Libya.
Brazilian officials have stated that with the rising
influence and economic clout of developing nations, they should also be given a
bigger say in institutions such as the International Monetary Fund.
Patriota said the financial crisis battering Europe showed
the emerging world's time is now.
"I think we are experiencing truly tectonic changes
when it comes to the configuration of power internationally. These changes were
accelerated by the 2008 economic crisis, and now a second wave with the
European crisis and its impact on the world economy," he said.
"It has become clear that the engines for growth and
dynamism in the world economy have been economies that share some common
traits; they still have large segments that are underdeveloped or that live in
poverty, but at the same time they have demonstrated a capacity to generate
high levels of growth, expanding markets, technological advance," Patriota
said.
"So it's natural that these new players assume greater
responsibilities and take up a bigger share of the decision-making power. For
our own part, this may be the first time in our history where we have truly
global influence," he said.
"You will see Brazil active on the world stage, ready
to assume its responsibilities."
