Ukraine-related Western sanctions are pushing BRICS countries into closer economic cooperation at an accelerated pace, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Saturday during the first meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of the BRICS countries, chaired by China.
According to the finance minister, the “current crisis is man-made,” and the BRICS member states – Russia, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa – “have all the necessary tools to mitigate its consequences for their respective economies and the global economy on a broader scale.”
Siluanov says the current US dollar-based international financial system should be reformed to ensure “independence and continuity of economic processes.”
“The situation in the global economy has deteriorated significantly as a result of the sanctions. Bans on settlements, disruption of production and supply chains, export controls and import bans – all of these restrictions hit the global economy.”