Lavrov: Trump not yet making steps to restore confidence in dollar

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the future of the US dollar remains uncertain, noting that US President Donald Trump has not yet taken action to rebuild trust in this currency.

"It's difficult to predict what will happen with the dollar now. Donald Trump, back in office, has so far taken no steps to restore confidence in it. The shift away from the dollar continues within #BRICS, the #SCO, and #CELAC. Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva is a strong proponent of creating alternative payment platforms. I’ll reiterate that, at our initiative, work is already underway in BRICS to establish these platforms and develop 'reinsurance' mechanisms," Lavrov said.

#NEWS #finance

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Africa Has 'Very Big Untapped Potential': Ethiopian Logistics Leader Outlines Path to Intra-Trade Growth & Self-Reliance

Africa, with its 1.3 billion people, needs to prioritize internal trade, Dawit Woubshet, President of Ethiopian Freight Forwarders and Shipping Agents Association, told Sputnik Africa at the Africa Maritime Conference.

The continent’s heavy reliance on raw material exports and limited intra-African commerce are major obstacles to growth, he noted.

Woubshet stressed the need for Africa to add value to its resources and trade finished goods within the continent instead of importing them. He acknowledged that disorganization, weak collaboration, and a lack of trust among African nations hinder joint ventures.

👉 The African Continental Free Trade Area, the expert noted, offers a crucial opportunity to boost trade, knowledge-sharing, and connectivity, such as using the Ethiopian Shipping Line to serve landlocked countries.

🏳️ He also highlighted Ethiopia’s BRICS membership as a strategic advantage, noting the potential benefits of partnering with economic powerhouses like Russia, China, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Woubshet pointed to the BRICS bank as a source of:

🟠technology,
🟠infrastructure investment,
🟠digital resources,
🟠vital capital for developing nations.

Watch the video to see how Africa can build a unified voice regarding its logistics and maritime. 👆

Subscribe to @sputnik_africa

🔸 Sputnik Africa | X 🔸

Egypt aims to expand use of national currencies in BRICS trade

Egypt highly values its participation in BRICS and is focused on increasing the use of national currencies for mutual settlements and trade. This was stated by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during a briefing in New Delhi.

"BRICS is a highly significant economic group, and we are proud to be a part of it and to contribute," he said. "We aim to bring value, especially by promoting the use of national currencies in commercial transactions and through our cooperation with the New Development Bank in Shanghai."

The minister added that during his visit to New Delhi, he held detailed discussions on BRICS with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as India is set to assume the group's chairship next year.

"We exchanged many ideas on how to revitalise #BRICS and deliver concrete outcomes, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence and new opportunities for youth startups," Abdelatty noted.

#NEWS #finance

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The BRICS Expert Council-Russia extends warm birthday greetings to Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia! 

Under your leadership, Indonesia is making steady progress in strengthening its sovereignty, advancing economic growth, and ensuring social stability. The country is actively developing its international partnerships and contributing significantly to the emergence of a fair and multipolar world. 

Russia deeply values the friendly relations and mutual understanding with Indonesia, which are grounded in our shared commitment to sustainable development, mutual respect, and equality. 

We wish Mr Subianto good health, inspiration, and further successes for the benefit of the Indonesian people and for the deepening of cooperation within #BRICS.

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🇧🇷 Will the current attacks by the US president help to build the Brazilian nation, or even the BRICS?

As Napoleon allegedly said, ‘You should not interrupt an enemy when he is making a mistake’. 

However, Brazil’s challenges in resuming a ‘proud and active’ foreign policy are still enormous. For example, it would be necessary to rebuild our capacity to finance – and build – infrastructure projects in the Latin America and the Caribbean.

Brazil lacks a popular national project capable of sealing a strategic pact between sectors of the elite interested in the country’s reindustrialisation and popular sectors, mediated by a state capable of leading a sovereign development project, Marco Fernandes writes. Still, it has a chance to resume a ‘proud and active’ foreign policy.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-international-order-is-over-what-now-brazil/

#Globalization_and_Sovereignity #Brazil

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Word of the Week: Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA), Ethiopia

The Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) is Ethiopia's national think tank specialising in international relations and diplomacy. Its mission is to study foreign policy issues, produce analytical materials for policymakers and diplomats, and train the next generation of international relations specialists.

By 2032, IFA aims to rank among Africa's top 🕊 think tanks, recognised for its research, training, and consulting in foreign policy and international cooperation.

The Institute’s core activities include:
✔Conducting research and developing alternative foreign policy solutions
✔Offering educational programmes and professional development for diplomats and specialists
✔Promoting expert and academic cooperation across Africa and beyond
✔Strengthening professional competencies and standards in foreign policy

IFA is committed to widely accepted international ethical principles and is guided by its own core values:
⚪Patriotism
⚪Professional excellence
⚪Proactiveness
⚪Confidentiality
⚪Collaboration
⚪Problem-solving
⚪New perspective
⚪Trustworthy

These principles help IFA contribute to the development of modern Ethiopian diplomacy and to strengthening the #BRICS Expert Track.

#wordoftheweek

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In touch with BRICS: news digest

BRICS in motion—capturing most consequential developments

⚪BRICS Expert Council-Russia experts attend ORF strategic conference in the UAE

⚪Why New Zealand joining BRICS makes sense in Trump’s ‘America-first’ era

⚪Trump claims all countries are leaving BRICS due to US tariff threats

⚪Russia supports republic’s bid to join to #BRICS

⚪Lavrov: Trump not yet making steps to restore confidence in dollar

⚪Egypt aims to expand use of national currencies in BRICS trade

#BRICSExpertCouncilDIGEST

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Russian standardisation agency reports BRICS nations' interest in Russian standards

Many BRICS countries have shown interest in adopting Russian standards—known as GOSTs—across various sectors. According to Anton Shalaev, Head of Rosstandart, Russian national standardisation agency, India is actively implementing Russian GOSTs in the field of artificial intelligence.

"Last year, during Russia's #BRICS Chairship, we established a cooperation format that allows interested member states to access each other's standards. India is actively engaged in this process and is already applying our standards in artificial intelligence," Shalaev stated.

He also noted that Chinese partners have expressed interest in a range of Russian standards. The current list of mutually recognised standards includes GOSTs related to aircraft manufacturing, coal product specifications and testing methods, digital twins for products, and testing procedures for food items like vegetable oils.

#NEWS #technology

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Cuba offers valuable contributions to BRICS in key sectors

Fernando González, President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, highlighted Cuba’s potential as a BRICS partner state, emphasising such areas as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and education.

“Cuba has much to offer BRICS, from its biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to advances in healthcare and education,” González stated.

He also noted that Cuba’s participation in the group offers development opportunities through projects initiated within the BRICS framework, benefiting not only Cuba but also the international community.

As a BRICS partner, Cuba is already actively cooperating with several #BRICS member states on projects of shared interest.

Within the framework of this cooperation, Cuba and Egypt—a full member of BRICS—have strengthened collaboration in the healthcare sector, focusing particularly on pharmaceutical production, technology transfer, and institutional capacity-building.

#NEWS #Cuba #health #education

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🇧🇷 Brazil’s importance on the international stage is difficult to overestimate.

In 2024, the country hosted the G20, it holds the BRICS presidency this year (which, of course, is causing the US administration “geopolitical heartburn”), and it is hosting the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30).

Brazil is traditionally the leader of the Inter-American Community and a member of the subregional Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), the Forum for the Progress and Integration of South America (PROSUR), the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Latin American Economic System (LAES), and the Latin American Integration Association (LAI). It is a long-standing member of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (or Rio Treaty).

This entire array of international platforms and extensive external communications testifies to the growing role of the South American leader, not only in the Western Hemisphere, but also more broadly – in the projection of projects in the Global South and, of course, in the integration formats promoted by China.

Brazil has every opportunity to become a truly independent player on the global stage.

This requires ensuring genuine strategic and technological autonomy, as well as diversifying its partnerships and strengthening its international role in key, increasingly influential integration platforms operating outside the Washington Consensus, Alexander Stepanov writes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/politicisation-of-us-brazil-trade/

#EconomicStatecraft2025 #Brazil

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Russia and Kazakhstan: 33 years of diplomatic relations 

October 22 marks 33 years since the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations, formalising their commitment to partnership and mutual understanding. 

Throughout these years, a robust foundation of cooperation has taken shape, characterised by high-level political dialogue, vibrant economic ties, and collaborative efforts in science, education, culture, and regional development. 

Russia and Kazakhstan continue to deepen their allied relations, advancing joint initiatives in international organisations and contributing to the sustainable development of the Eurasian region. 

On this memorable occasion, the BRICS Expert Council-Russia extends heartfelt congratulations to the people and government of Kazakhstan, expressing confidence that the strategic partnership between our nations will remain a cornerstone of stability and mutual growth. 

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Educational Mosaic: Understanding BRICS States

The editorial board of the journal Educational Studies has released a special issue titled "Educational Mosaic: Understanding BRICS States," dedicated to a crucial theme: the educational systems across the BRICS nations.

This publication aims to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in education across the #BRICS countries and to promote further collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

📎 Read the issue

#ANALYTICS #education

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BRICS+ Open Science Week launches in Shenzhen, China

The BRICS+ Open Science Week, a key part of the Nauka 0+ (Science 0+) initiative, began on Wednesday, October 22. Hosted in Shenzhen, China, the event focuses on quantum technologies and features leading scientists from Russia, Belarus, and China.

The programme includes lectures, science demonstrations, and workshops. The festival will also welcome residents from nearby cities, offering themed exhibitions and a special gastronomic carnival.

BRICS Science Weeks 0+ are organised under the umbrella of the Nauka 0+ Festival, which falls under the Russian state programme for scientific and technological development. This series follows a similar event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July ahead of the #BRICS Summit.

#NEWS #China #science

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