BRICS Nations at G20 Call for Cancellation of Unilateral Trade Measures

BUENOS AIRES- The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations share the opinion that all unilaterally imposed trade measures should be canceled, Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin said on Friday.

“The position that has been declared is that all unilateral measures that have been adopted and used in the recent years, should be canceled. This is a common position of the BRICS nations,” he told journalists at the G20 summit.

The BRICS nations plan to agree on an initiative at the G20 summit to modernize existing trade instruments, in particular the World Trade Organization (WTO). “It [WTO] should be developed. The key principle is that the World Trade Organization remains the only platform authorized to set global trade rules and any unilateral actions must be canceled as they negatively impact global development,” Oreshkin stressed.

 This position, in his words, was elaborated by Russia jointly with China. “In the past several weeks, we have been working actively to persuade others that these wordings, these positions are right. We have managed to do that, so it is a common position of the BRICS nations on the situation in global trade,” he said, adding that there are no guarantees that these proposals would be included in the final statement.

‘World Leaders Are Clueless’: Demonstrators Hit Streets of Buenos Aires to Protest G20

As world leaders gather for the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, protesters have gathered to accuse the event’s participants of promoting big business and imperialism. Some 22,000 officers have been deployed to quell any violence

While protests have so far been peaceful, even jovial, police aren’t taking any chances. Around 22,000 officers have been deployed to the area in anticipation of possible violence, particularly during mid-afternoon on Friday, when a huge demonstration is planned.

Authorities have said they will not tolerate any protesters wearing masks or committing any kind of violence.

RT’s Paula Slier spoke to some of the demonstrators, including one who said the cash spent on the G20 gathering could be spent elsewhere.

 “I’m skeptical. I’m skeptical because I think all the negotiations, they are already made…and they could use the money for other things.”

One protester said those taking part in the summit simply don’t have “any clue” about how to solve world crises. Another said that demonstrators are trying to show that the “G20 doesn’t belong to the people.”

Argentina is no stranger to protests. The country has recently been gripped by anti-austerity demonstrations against the government’s 2019 budget bill, some of which have resulted in police firing rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas.

H.M