Aleksander Pankin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation: BRICS priority task is to develop ties with integration associations

Aleksander Pankin graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1985 and has been working in the system of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the same year. From 2010 to 2014, he was First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN in New York. Since October 2017, he has served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. In 2018, Aleksander Pankin was awarded the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

What tasks are the BRICS countries working on in the Eurasian space in the year of Russia's chairmanship in the union? 

Building strong ties with developing countries and integration associations, including the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), is one of this year's priorities. We are involving our associates in various mechanisms of interaction within the BRICS framework. In particular, leaders of the CIS countries, heads of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the SCO Secretariat, and the Union State of Russia and Belarus have been invited to the summit in Kazan. Our partners in the Eurasian space are interested in BRICS discussions on reforming the global governance system, ensuring food and energy security, creating independent financial settlement systems, and combating climate change. Another promising area of interaction in the BRICS+ format is humanitarian cooperation. BRICS is an element of global governance. We consistently defend the interests of developing countries, be it the Eurasian space, Africa, or Latin America.

What transport corridor projects are planned in Eurasia?

We are ready to discuss with all our constructive partners promising projects, primarily the North-South international transport corridor and the Northern Sea Route. The use of these transit routes significantly reduces the time of deliveries from the Asia-Pacific region to Europe. The Northern Sea Route also makes it possible to establish new routes for supplying Russian energy resources from Arctic fields to end consumers, including those in South and Southeast Asia and even Latin America. In addition, we see great potential in strengthening interconnectivity with partners in the southern part of the Eurasian continent, Pakistan and India, through Central Asian countries. Since last year, active work has begun on the creation of an international transport corridor between Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

What, in your opinion, should be taken into account when developing transport corridor projects in Eurasia? 

In our opinion, ensuring safe, stable, and efficient export-import routes and the formation of an extensive logistics network for freight transport that is not subject to political conjuncture is the main criterion that should be taken into account when developing transport corridors in Eurasia. 

The Eurasian Economic Union has concluded free trade zone agreements with Iran, Vietnam, Singapore, and Serbia. What economic prospects do these treaties open up?

A free trade agreement is an important institutional tool to support exports, including in terms of expanding the range and volume of goods supplied. The agreements currently in force have opened wider opportunities for the parties in the sphere of mutual trade, and thanks to them, there has already been a significant increase in the value of mutual trade turnover.

In the examples of Vietnam and Serbia, we see at least very good statistics, both in terms of coverage and trade growth, and this really contributes to the solution of national economic problems in all the countries involved.

With which other countries does the Eurasian Economic Union plan to sign agreements on free trade zones?

The completion of the trade liberalisation agreement with Egypt is on the agenda now. In 2023, tracks on the creation of free trade zones with the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia were also launched. In addition, this year negotiations were held on a temporary trade agreement with Mongolia; its signing is scheduled before the end of this year. The issue of holding relevant negotiations with India is also at the stage of technical consultations.

What economic tasks does Russia currently face in co-operation with its EAEU partners? 

The main task is to qualitatively expand and deepen ties between the Five countries. The main efforts are currently focused on the fulfilment of the strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration until 2025. 

Photo: screenshot of the TV BRICS interview